Wildflower Casino
by MindTemple
Summary: SEQUEL TO "HEART OF ROCK, HEART OF ICE" After Phantom feels lonely, he goes after Diana and wants to take her back to Paris to live wih him. On his way, he finds amazing discoveries of his past. Raoul. Christine. His mother. His father. His sanity.
1. Learn To Be Lonely

**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT END!!!! **

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**Again, this isn't my best piece. I started this after I finished the first one, in 2007/2008. I only keep it on here because there's one person that likes it XD.  
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**ONE WEEK AFTER "ICE HEART, OR ROCK HEART?"**

Now.

I needed to get her now!

This was torture.

No happiness.

Nothing.

I never realized how truly alone I was until now. This stupid pain! It won't go away!

It's not the best for me.

It's not the best for Diana. She may have been tainted, but she like it down here. She wanted to stay, and I forced her away.

I wondered what she was doing right now. I do this every day. I miss her so much... her sounds and her quirks...

I cried every day. I had not slept, for it had not been three months. I was not tired, just sad.

NOW!

But how? How to get her? I needed to make contact with the grandparents. I had no phone number... or anything. No... address... or means of contact. Alone. Again.

I needed to remember. What had she told me? What about the grandparents?

Oh... my out-focused mind! The last words that they had said... I was zoned out! It must've been some sort of... number or address... they would not just leave me with no means.

I needed to remember.

HA! Yes... I remember Diana saying that they were going back to America... to a place called Colorado. I have no idea where that is. Is it a city? A building? An American version of an address?

I have narrowed it down to a continent.

I needed an exact location. Now!

Please, God. I need somebody. Somebody else...

She had no family that I could talk to unless I was dead. Who else would she be close enough to tell them where she was going?

Not Benny. She barely knew him.

Oh.

HER!

Ms. Know-it-all!

Oh... what was her name... she knew everything about me...

NAME!

Maybe she didn't have a name. She was completely nameless! That's it! NAMELESS!

No... Ms. Something.

Okay... she was not married... I remembered a 'D'.

No... not a 'D'. A 'T'!

T... T... Thomas!

Ms. Thomas! YES!

I had to find Betelgeuse lady! Star geek woman!

Please... let me find her.

When and where? The only place that I knew where she went was France's Garden... from... 5:30 to 9:30!

To see Orion! It was still November! This was my biggest shot... the biggest that I may ever have to finding the exact location of my Diana dear.

Mine.

It was three o'clock. The Orion constellation comes out at 5:30. From what Diana told me... she would be there at 4:30 just to set up her equipment... she was one of those people who always got there early. Those annoying ones who call ahead, and ask if they can come to the party early.

I grabbed my white half-mask and ran up the staircase to get outside. I threw myself out of the main foyer to reach a large crowd of people.

I sneaked by to get to the near-empty France's Garden.

I threw open the gate. I searched the peaceful garden with my frantic eyes.

There. THERE!

WHAT WAS HER NAME?! GOD, PLEASE LET ME REMEMBER!

"MS. THOMAS! MS. THOMAS!" I ran towards the crouching woman. She was looking through a telescope on a tripod. She was writing something in her notebook.

I tackled her from the back. I scraped my knees on the pavement, but I was so thankful. Hope was shining on my life. FINALLY!

She screamed and thrashed her limbs. They hit me in the face and body. I didn't care. I was hugging her. HUGGING! She was sunshine....

OWWWWW!!! My HEAD! She had grabbed my right arm, held it over her right shoulder, and hauled my body over hers. My head landed on a pillar that held up the gondola. Owww...

I moaned as Ms. Thomas held her hands to her mouth.

"What on Earth were you doing?" She ran up to me, offering her hand to help me up. I grabbed it, trusting her with my weight. She held me up as I kept my balance. She was a strong, smart woman.

"I... help... Diana... with... America... location..." I slipped in and out of blurry vision and throbbing pain, to clear vision and numb.

"You are babbling... come sit." She guided me to a little padded cushion on the ground. I sat down and let my eyes close.

"NO! Keep... awake... you may have a concussion."

"What?"

"What is the capitol of France?"

"Huh...?"

"Answer!"

"P-P-Paris..."

"Good... okay... what is two times ten?"

"T-Twenty..."

"Alright... just stay awake..."

And I did.

"So... what are you going around attacking people for? I understand that you are a lonely man but, gosh, learn to control that little voice in your head!"

I couldn't help but laugh a breathy laugh. That was pretty clever. "That's not why I... came h-here..."

"Well... why are you disturbing my amazing views of space?"

"Did Diana tell you where she was going with her grandparents?"

"Yes... I believe it was in America..."

"I know that... do y-y-you have an exact location?"

"Yes... At home on a piece of paper..."

I stared at her. "T-t-t-thank you... so much..."

"Why do you care?"

"I'm g-g-gonna go get her and bring her back..."

She stopped moving. "You can't just... take her... you have to have papers... you have to take it to court..."

"I'm gonna just take her."

"That is what we call... illegal."

"I don't care... just... thank you."

And I got up to leave.

"Hey. You never even said hello to me. You just assaulted me."

"Hello."

"Nice try. Come here... look at the stars."

"What can be so exciting about twinkling pieces of rock?"

"Rock? No-no-no-no-no... come here... let me give you a little lesson on stars."

"I don't think so..."

"It's very interesting, really. Come look."

She walked over to the telescope. She waved her index finger to summon me.

Reluctantly, I walked over. I sighed and looked through the little hole. It was a brilliant sight. I couldn't have been able to see anything with a naked eye. It was very... pretty.

"Stars are not rocks," she knelt beside me as I stared, "they are very tightly packed gases from nebula."

She explained what all of these things were. How they were made... what they were made of... the temperatures... the different colors... it was fascinating.

I never knew stars were so complicated. I thought they were atomic rocks in space.

"And that is how scientists classify the different stars."

I stood back. "That was fascinating. I really did enjoy that. What else do you know?"

She laughed. He was a louder girl. Not dainty or girly like others that I have met.

Diana. Christine. Meg. Carlotta. Madame Giry.

"I know a lot. What do you want to learn?"

"What are the planets made out of?"

That was even _more interesting! _This was so... mind-capturing. I liked space. I liked how people know these things.

It had been two hours. She had showed me the many constellations that were able to be seen now. I can't even remember the names, but it was interesting. Some of the pictures were far fetched, but I could understand how they could see it.

I needed to get home. I needed to get moving to... America. Wait... I needed a passport... and a whole lot more work...

"Hey, Ms. Thomas," I stopped from walking away, "I'll answer that question of yours if you still want me to."

"What question?"

"When you can remember... just ask it again..."

And I walked away.

My mind wandered in my lair. My thoughts were drifting from my music. What other dimensions were out there? What other nebula were out there that we haven't discovered yet?

Ah. Now I know what Ms. Thomas meant. This made my mind... think. It made me wonder. It stimulated my mind to learn new things.

I obviously hadn't gone to school... so I was uneducated... except in the world of music.

Okay... enough thinking. I needed to think. How was I going to do this...?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE! BIG ONE!**

**THIS IS THE FIRST CHAPTER, OBVIOUSLY. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS GETS MANY VIEWS, WHILE MY SECOND CHAPTER GETS MORE THAN A THIRD LESS VIEWS. I THINK THAT IT IS BECAUSE MY FIRST CHAPTER IS NOT CATCHY ENOUGH OR IT IS NOT INTERESTING. IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SEND ME A COMMENT OR A REVIEW TELLING ME WHAT IS GOOD OR BAD ABOUT THE FIRST CHAPTER. HOW IT COULD BE WRITTEN BETTER OR STORY LINE WISE. I AM JUST CURIOUS, BECAUSE, NATURALLY, I WANT PEOPLE TO LIKE MY WRITING. THANK YOU!**


	2. How Does She Do It?

I sat. Where do I start? Passport? Papers? What were papers? Where do I get the papers? The passport? This was all Greek to me.

What about... a phone number? To talk to Diana first? Maybe that was all that I needed... to hear her.

"MS. THOMAS!"

"What now?" she turned to me from her telescope.

"Do... do" I caught by breath, "do you have a phone... numb...number?"

"What?"

"So I can call her... a phone number."

"I have a phone number... but it is written on a piece of paper at home. I can't remember it..."

"Can you go get it?!"

She giggled. "I am studying right now... maybe after..." she checked her wrist watch, "7:00?"

"I can wait."

"Maybe I can teach you something more."

"That would be nice."

"Did you ever go to school, Erik?"

"No."

"Not enough funds?" she kneeled in front of the telescope.

"No... I was busy getting beaten and laughed at."

She stopped turning a little knob on the side of the telescope. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't know..."

"It's alright."

Silence as she wrote something down. I looked, it was a bunch of numbers, pictures and scattered words. She was not an organized note taker.

"Is that how your face became odd?"

"No. Long before that."

"That was my question, wasn't it? How your face became disfigured?"  
"Yes."

"Are you going to answer?"

"If you want me to."

"I do."

"Then I will."

Silence.

"Well...." She leaned towards me.

"Well what?"

"Are you going to answer?"

"You never asked."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "How did your face get disfigured?"

"To find the answer... we must think way back in time... when I was still a little egg..."

"You mean the womb?"

"No... the actual microscopic part of that."

"Ah."

"Anyway... when I began to grow, apparently a second egg must've connected, because there were two little beings connected at the tip. When I was merely a week old, a newly formed baby, I split apart from the other baby. Since our skin was so soft and like wet clay, our skin stayed pulled apart."

"Fascinating..."

"Our faces looked the same. When I was a week and three days inside, somehow, the two baby's faces rammed into each other."

"Wow... this is extremely rare..."

"So... if you put our faces together, they would fit together."

"Wow... do you know where your Siamese is?"

"My what?"

"Your other."

"I am single..."

"No.. your brother!"

"Oh... well... he died at birth. Something went wrong with his heart and blood stream... and he stopped breathing."

"I'm sorry... how do you know all of this?"

"It is what my second mother told me..."

"Second?"

"Well yes... My first was my birth mother who shoved me off to the orphanage. My second was my adoption mother who lived in Holland. She was nice to everybody else but me. She is who I consider my mother, for I remember her most. She told me the story of my brother. My third was after I ran away from my second, and my third traded me off to the circus."

"You poor thing..." She scooted close to me.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get me to tell you about all of this?"

"You just told me you would answer..."

"No... it's something about you... your face... I barely know you, yet I opened up to you..."

"I don't know."

"Well... I answered one of your questions... now I ask that you answer one of mine."

"Any...thing...?"

"What is your first name?"

"Can I pass?"

"Why?"

"I... don't like my name."

"I won't ask... can I ask another?"

"Be my guest."

"Why do you wear your hair like that?"

"Like what?"

"In front of your face."

"Can I pass on that too?"

"I have no other questions..."

"Fine..." She held the end of her blonde hair with the tip of her index finger. She pushed it aside.

Whoa. How... ironic...

One side of her face... was... covered with scars. They looked like the welts on my back from the whips that followed me through the years. But they were not welts. They were scars. I could tell the difference in color.

"Yeah... ugly, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. I slowly raised my hand up to my mask, and, ever so slightly, pulled it off. She stared... but not rudely. At least, I didn't interpret it as rude, for I was doing the same thing.

We sat there. Staring. It was in wonder... not in fear or rudeness... or anything of the sort. In curiosity. In... astonishment...

How could... someone else have a... demented face? Something that they could not hide... like me?

"I was injured in an unfortunate farming accident..." she said quietly in that sweet voice.

I only nodded, mouth open agate slightly.


	3. Annoying Hussy

"We match, Erik."

"Almost... mine could not be helped" I responded with a small smile.

"How do you know that mine was optional?"

"I'm not saying that it was optional... I am saying that yours is man-made."

"Well, it is man-made..."

"You said 'an unfortunate farming accident'?"

"Yes... I used to live on a farm... I fell off the tractor when my sister pushed me off... and the tractor's cutter went over my face... what a mess. The doctors stitched me up, and now I am left with these scars."

"That must've hurt... I'm very sorry..."

"I was knocked out when I was pushed off. My sister and I are identical twins... but nobody believes us because half of my face is chewed up, and hers isn't. She also has a shirt hair cut, while I keep mine long."

"Hm... so we both have twins."

"We are similar in many ways, I guess."

She stood up and stepped over to her telescope again. "Hm... Cygnus the Swan..."

"Why are you not afraid of me?"

"I know you just have some issues inside that master mind of yours..."

"Oh really? I kill. That does not scare you?"

"No. Hm... murdering... usually from abandonment. You feel lonely and angry at everyone. You kill to calm that thirst of revenge in your mind from your past. Your evil ways are purely psychological."

"You are very deep thinking. I hear you have your post-doctorate. In what, may I ask?"

"Psychology."

"I guess that makes perfect sense."

"Well... medical psychology. I could have been a psychologist for mentally disturbed people. I was trained in America."

"Hm. You must be very smart."

"If I do say so myself."

"Why do you look at space if you specialize in humans?"

"Simple," she smiled at me, her face still revealed, "I am curious."

I raised my eyebrows and shrugged. "That is simple..."

I watched her look, scribble, then look again. After a while, she just stared into the hole. "Erik... come see this."

I stepped over to her. I kneeled next to her. It was hard to see her, for it was now dark. It was 6:00.

She moved over to let me see into the eye-hole. I looked up to the sky through it.

"Do you see that bright object?"

There was a green-blue light shining the most vibrantly in the dark. "Yes."

"That is Venus."

"Venus... one of the planets?"

"The planet second closer to the sun. It is called Earth twin, for we are nearly the same in size and composition. But, Venuses atmosphere is so thick, we could not breath. And, if we were to land on Venus, the gravitational pull would crush us to the point where out insides would spill out of our head, which would blow up from the force and suffocation."

I stared a her. "That's nice."

"Isn't it?"

I smiled, then stepped back. "What does Venus look like up close?"

"Well... from scientific explorations... From space, it is covered with thick, orange white clouds. The actual surface of Venus from Space is a very vibrant mix of blue, purple, green, and a little red. It all swirls together because of the hydrogen and helium in the gases that make up the planet."

"Hm... very interesting. How do people find these things out?"

"In America, we are far more technologically advanced."

"Why?"

"I don't know... different people, different minds..."

"I guess..."

Silence once more. Then she stood up from her kneel, and grabbed her notebook. She tucked it into a middle-sized black suit case. On the top of the inside of her case, lie an accordion-style folder. She unclipped a little piece of fabric that kept the little pockets from fanning out, and slipped in the notebook. Her file was filled with five different notebooks. Each a different color. I wasn't going to ask.

Then she folded the tri-pod and put the telescope in a black case.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. And you are coming with me to get that phone number."

"I wouldn't want to disturb... anyone... who lives with you."

"I live alone. Similarity number one billion."

I smiled. "I forget. Hm, maybe I should remember that you are a mademoiselle, considering that they only name that I know you by is Ms. Thomas." I hinted. I wanted to know her name... I was just curious.

"And that is the name you will always know me by."

"Why?"

"I told you, I don't like my name."

"And I told you, that I don't like my name either."

She hummed an odd tune. I didn't know it. "I heard you. Now follow me. I will call for Gabby to pick us up."

"So you live with this Gabby person?" I rushed to her side, and speed-walked to stay there.

"No. Gabby is my sister. My twin. She is staying in a hotel, for we do not live in Paris."

"Where do you live?"

"Algonquin, Illinois."

"Where is that?"

"The United States of America."

"Hm. From your last name I can tell you have Dutch roots."

"Yes. My father was Dutch. My mother was French. We used to live in Paris... but we immigrated to America to get more money. I went to school there."

"Interesting."

"How did you get here? I can tell by your voice that you originated in Holland."

"How?"

"You have a very slight accent."

"Alright... you do too. You have an American accent."

"I should. I have lived there for twenty years."

"I see. So... where do you live?"

"Answer my question and I will call for Gabby."

"Fine..." we were near man people... we were about to cross a quiet street. "I was born in Holland, I cannot remember my origin town, but I ran to Amsterdam. There I was transported to Paris to be a circus act."

"Hm... how did you get there?"

"Boat."

"GA-BBY!"

"By call, I thought you meant by phone... not yelling for her."

"Ah, I am American... we are loud and obnoxious."

I laughed.

"GABBY! GET YOUR SWINY TAIL OVER HERE!"

I smiled. People were staring, and I stared back at them as if to say 'deal with it.'

"I'm coming, I'm coming, you annoying ugly bat!" a voice responded. It sounded like Ms. Thomas, but slightly deeper.

"She's coming..." Ms. Thomas turned to me and smiled.

"I heard."

Then a black carriage pulled up to us. The horses were alternating from black and white, and a driver dressed with black and white clothing sat on top, holding the reins for the horses.

The door opened, revealing two long rows of seats. Closest to us... was a blonde woman.

She looked exactly like Ms. Thomas, without the scars. Interesting. Her hair was not long, but looked like it needed a lot of hairspray to keep it's short length in its place, extending outward. Not obnoxiously, but a little flip kept it exciting. She wore a tiny hat in her hair, with a large, black veil covering her face. It was translucent enough to only leave a thin haze over her features. She wore dark make-up around her eyes, but a deep red lipstick on her lips. She wore a short, black dress with deep maroon-black pantyhose. With shiny maroon earrings in the shape of rings with a diameter of at least two inches and deep maroon necklaces with several assorted jewels and beads around her neck, she was pretty... but dark.

She looked apathetic and aggravated when she opened the door, looking at Ms. Thomas. Then when her eyes flashed over to me, her mouth dropped down and her head tilted down. Her eyes looked... seductive. Her hands trailed over to her now crossed legs, she wore knee-high black boots, and smoothed her palms over her thighs. I felt uncomfortable. Ms. Thomas rolled her eyes.

"Well," Gabby said, her voice rasping just the slight, "hello there, beautiful. You seem to be a sight for these worn-out, sore eyes. You must know I dig dudes in masks."

I blushed. And I felt it. It was hot all of a sudden... and I didn't like it. I cleared my dry throat and adjusted my stance.

"G- I mean, Ms. Thomas," she said mockingly the 'Ms. Thomas' part, "finally found some eye candy for me..."

Ms. Thomas swallowed.

"And you certainly are sweet," she smiled and licked her lips, "tasty."

"Gabby! Enough! This is Erik, my new... student." She put her arm on my shoulder.

"Ohhh... a learning boy... I like the stupid ones."

Ms. Thomas rolled her eyes. "He is everything except stupid."

"I hope he is everything..."

"GABBY!"

I flushed once more. This was an awkward position for a man who has not spoken to a woman like this for quite a while. Not even Christine had gotten this... sickening. I wasn't like that. I wanted to leave. I would get the address later.

"I'm sorry... I just can't help flirting with a red man."

"A red man?" I looked up from my feet into her beautiful eyes. Surrounded by darkness.

"Well, just look at your face!"

I knew now... I was blushing hard. I was a 'red' man.

Ms. Thomas rolled her eyes once more. "Shut up, Gabby. You can talk like that to your casino-mates, but not to a classy man like Erik."

"I'm sorry... again. But-"

"Save it, Gabby."

Gabby looked up from her... sexy... look. "Fine. Get in, you troll," she looked at me, "and you... my mysterious monsieur... can sit next to me. What an honor to you!"

Ms. Thomas coughed abruptly. "Conceded." She coughed again.

"Shut up, Scar-face."

"Shut up, Riches-To-Rags."

"Hey... hey... no more. I don't like foul insults like that" I interrupted. I really didn't.

"Oh... listen to that deep voice scold us naughty girls..." Gabby blew a kiss to me, "We shouldn't use such vulgar insults to each other."

I stayed quiet this time. This girl was... a... different one. I shouldn't make first judgments... but she is making it hard not to.

Gabby patted the seat beside her with the tips of her fingers. It made a soft patting noise. "Come sit, handsome."

I looked at Ms. Thomas. She gave a look of forgiveness, and climbed in. She sat next to Gabby. I could tell by the way Gabby abruptly turned her head and how she breathed a breath of disgust, that she was displeased.

"I know I am attractive Gabby, but please, I am a woman. I cannot be handsome, got that?"

"I wasn't referring to you, stupid..." her head turned back to me, a smile on her face, "I was talking to this sweet, succulent, man at my feet."

"Well... erm..." I got that queezy, tight feeling in my stomach again, "I- I don't... feel as if I am very... succulent... perhaps I should...."

"Oh, what are you talking about? You are so delicious, it makes me..." she leaned close to my face, "drool."

I backed up. "Okay, lady. I am trying to... restrain myself with-"

"Ohh... don't hold back with me-"

"No... with the... judgments. But now I can't," I stepped close to her face, "I'm not sure if I should be talking to you, or tucking money in your girdle."

She gave me that... sexy... look again. "That all depends on what you want to be doing, beautiful."

"Okay... that's it," Ms. Thomas sounded aggravated, "out."

"What?" Gabby looked at her.

"Get out. You are annoying."

"Pht... how would I get home?"

"Your a hussy, just stand on the street corner. Some man will eventually pick you up, just wait until you see the fat old pervert in the old car."

Gabby looked shocked as Ms. Thomas pushed her out of the car. She landed on her knees, maybe tearing a hole in her pantyhose. She stood up, looking belittled.

"Come on in, Erik" she said to me and smiled. Gabby was about to try to get in when Ms. Thomas shot her a look.

I stepped in the elaborately decorated carriage.

Ms. Thomas grabbed the door's handle. "Maybe you'll score a rich one, who knows?" and she closed the door in Gabby's angry face.

The carriage started to move.

"Erik, I am so sorry... she is usually very well-mannered... with... less-handsome men." She looked at me with an apologetic look.

"It's quite alright..." I smiled and raised my eyebrow, "I guess I just enchant woman with my handsome-ness.

"I'm sure..."

We sat in silence.

"Wait... you said she is well-mannered toward less handsome men..." I looked at her. She looked back, "you called me handsome!"

"No... I merely implied it..."

"Ah... you think I'm handsome..."

"A little."

I hadn't expected that answer. The smile on my face melted off. It was replaced by heat. Redness. Flushing. I was just on fire today. Oh, I could have said that better...

The carriage stopped.

"We are here, mademoiselle" said the driver in a stuffy, English accent.

The driver opened the door for Ms. Thomas. She smiled out and smiled at him. I followed after her. We began to walk away as we heard the door shut.

"Wait," he called to us and we turned, "monsieur."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for that little crack with Gabby... I have wanted to say something like that for years. And mademoiselle... that was just... very bold and courageous of you to push her out. Thank you... she deserves it."

We both smiled. She giggled. She then walked over to the driver who stood in front of the carriage with excellent posture. She reached into her pocket and took out a stack of money. She handed it to him. "One hundred Francs. Thank you for the drive."

He looked at her graciously. "Thank you, Ms. Thomas... thank you."

We turned before he drove away. We only heard the horses clomp away... the driver still talking to himself with gratefulness.

The house was not big, but not small. It was normal. And for the cost of that carriage, she could have bought a mansion. I was surprised to see the normal-looking house... considering such a smart woman lived in it. She could have bought a nicer house...

"I know it's smaller than what you're used to..." she opened the wooden door with a small window at eye-level, "but you will only be here a moment..."

I cautiously stepped inside, Ms. Thomas following. I heard the door softly close behind us.

"Would you like some tea or water?" she hung her coat on a hook.

"No thank you."

The main foyer was not a foyer at all... but a room. It had a couch, a coffee table, and other household items in which you would find in a living room of sorts. It was very modern... with black, white, and different shades of blue. Where did this style come from? Why was the furniture so low?

"Okay. I will get the address... take a seat, if you wish" she disappeared behind a white swinging door.

I didn't sit down, instead I followed her. I was very anxious, sure, for this was the moment. This was a little ray of hope from the clouds of despair.

"Or follow me..." she was looking through a very organized folder on a little desk connected to the wall. The kitchen kept the same, odd, futuristic look, but a different color scheme, in the kitchen. The counters were granite, the table a deep, brown wood. The chairs matched the table, but cushioned with a deep purple fabric. It seemed brown, gray, purple and white was the color scheme in the kitchen.

"Here we are..." she handed me a little strip of paper. I took it anxiously. I fumbled with it in my gloved hands and eventually my eyes caught the writing on the paper.

Ms. Thomas,

I understand that you requested an address. Here it is:

889 Wildflower Road

89056 Denver, Colorado

If you find the time, I am sure that Diana would love your visit. She certainly enjoys your company.

Phone: 1-847-458-5466

Herold and Geraldine

Finally. Finally... I had it. YES! I could see Diana... but who were Herold and Geraldine?

"Who are they?" I pointed to their signature.

"The grandparents..." Ms. Thomas walked behind the counter, never fully looking at me. She didn't think that this was a big deal. It certainly was... oh was it!

"Ah... so... can I get her?"

"If you steal her, then you go to prison, and Hell."

"Not to take her," I met her apathetic gaze, "but to _legally obtain _her."

"Really? Do you have papers of adoption? What about credits? Is the _law even in your favor?_"

"I'm... sure I do... somewhere..."

"Erik... they are family. They have more of a liability to care for her. Even if you do take this to court, which you can't, the jury would pick them."

"Why, exactly?"

"They are normal.... they can care for her such a way that she will be raised properly."

This was true. I probably would mess this up, a little girls life would be ruined. I shouldn't go after her... I wouldn't.

"Can I still keep the address?"

"If I find out you are going to steal her, I will steal you."

I smiled. "Thanks."

She walked to guide me out.

"Wait," I stopped walking, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure... just as long as it's not something ridiculous."

"It's not... do you have any books?"

She looked into my eyes. "Yes, I do. Why?"  
"May I see your collection?"

She smiled a sweet smile. "Why, yes. You can. Follow me."

And I did. I followed her guidance down a narrow hallway, passing door after door.

"GEN- MS. THOMAS! GET YOUR UGLY, RETARDED BUTT DOWN HERE, RIGHT NOOOWW!" a voice yelled angrily form below the stairs I just climbed.

"Uh-Oh" our voices said in unison.

"FINE! T'M COMING UP THERE!"

We heard upset, loud footsteps stomp up the wooden staircase. Ms. Thomas grabbed my arm and pulled my into a room. She had opened the white door moments ago.

Once I was in, she closed the door and locked it. I could not see anything, even with my extensive, trained vision. We only heard the yells from outside the door fade, get louder as she passed us, and fade again.

"I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, YOU LITTLE DONKEY!"

I heard Ms. Thomas giggle. "I'm sure you do..." she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"YOU'RE NOT IN THE SCIENCE ROOM... SO YOU MUST BE..."

A series of angry pounding made me jump. The handle jiggled, not opening for it was locked.

"OPEN UP! YOU MUST HAVE YOUR TAIL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS RIGHT NOW!"

The pounding was added with more insults and screams.

"IS CUTIE IN THERE WITH YOU?"

I knew she was referring to me.

The pounding stopped. The only sound was our breathing.

"Gabby?" I whispered. I wasn't scared, but I did not want to reveal our location.

"Yes... she will be angry... let's try to sneak out..." I heard the door open and a dim light shone in, allowing me to see a small strip of the room. Dark wood floors... that was it.

"DON'T YOU TRY TO GET AWAY FROM ME!" an arm flew from the cracked door. "I'LL GET YOU!"


	4. Problem Solving Shrink

"Go... away..." Ms. Thomas struggled to close the door. The arm was persistent.

"SHUT YOUR YAP AND LET ME IN!"

"NO!"

"I'LL HIT YOU!"

"OHH... I'M SHAKING IN MY NON HUSSY BOOTS, UNLIKE YOURS!"

"THESE WERE MOMS!"

"THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING! NOW I KNOW WHERE YOU GOT IT FROM!"

"LET ME IN!"

"_QUIET!" _My loud, deep voice echoed from my mouth, around the now-still girls, and out the windows.

Silence.

"Thank you..." I rubbed my temples even though I had no headache, "please, settle this like women, not barbarians."

"You're as ugly as one..." I heard one say.

"Sh!" I looked at Ms. Thomas. She looked back at me with a defensive look.

"IT WAS HER!"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU STUPID INFODEL!"

"I AM TALKING-"

"**QUIET!"**

Silence again.

"Gabby, come in here."

Ms. Thomas released her grip on the door, allowing Gabby to stumble in. She must've been leaning against the door.

"Turn on the light."

Ms. Thomas did. The room was... a library. A very large library. The entire four walls were covered from head to toe with books. Dark wooden bookcases, matching a hue lighter than the dark wood floors. In the middle of the room, a sitting area with two love seats adjacent from each other in a deep mocha color. A fireplace, statues, and paintings decorated the room. It looked... odd. What was with Ms. Thomas's different style?

"Sit."

Ms. Thomas and Gabby rushed to go sit on the opposite couches. I followed and, in fear of more flirting, sat next to Ms. Thomas. They looked uncomfortable.

"Now," I looked at Gabby, "what are you angry with?"

"Gen- I mean, Ms. Thomas, threw me out in the streets!" she looked at me with a stupid-looking face.

"Okay... what is bad about that?"

"What a stupid question... but, she embarrassed me, she made me tear my pantyhose, and I happen to know that a certain carriage driver was given a tip, for insulting me."

"Hm... why were you embarrassed? I thought I made it clear that I was not interested in you."

"You did... but I am not attracted to you, either. I merely am used to flirting with good-looking men."

I blinked three times in the silence. "Why are you used to it?"

"Because she is a little-" Ms. Thomas sat up in her chair.

"Ms. Thomas... it is not your turn..." I held my index finger up to her.

She backed down and slouched in her chair.

"Well... because I was basically raised in a casino... I still practically live there to this day..."

"Really? Why?"

"What are you, a shrink?"

"I am whatever you want me to be- and not like that."

She smiled. "I-I really don't know why." The rasp and deepness in her voice disappeared. It sounded more like Ms. Thomas's now. "I like it there. It is so... uplifting. The danger of the gambling... the sound of the money falling into some lucky person's hand..."

"So... you like this place because it has a happy, joyful atmosphere."

"Yes."

"Where do you live?"

"Here."

I looked at Ms. Thomas who turned in her seat. "You said you lived alone."

"Well... she... looks like me... maybe she is... maybe we are-looking into a mirror! You never know with this old house!" she laughed panicky-like.

"Why did you lie? I honestly don;t care who you live with..."

"Because... she is... annoying. She was hitting on you, and I didn't want to loose my chance to have you come to my house because of her."

I turned my eyes from her. There would be no further questions about that matter...

"How does my interest with gambling relate to this little dilemma?"

"It doesn't... but do you feel angry?"

"Well... no."

"This was merely a way for you to calm down. Sometimes talking about your feeling that are unrelated to any subject at hand makes you feel the slightest bit relieved. When that relief spreads...you feel more serene. And judging my Ms. Thomas's posture and expression, I would say that she is not annoyed...?"

"Not anymore..." she gave a half-smile with half-effort.

"Now. We can talk about the problem."

And we discussed it. We resolved it like human beings, not dogs. The women hugged, and I smiled. After a thank you from Gabby, she left the room.

"Well," Ms. Thomas stood from her sat, "aren't you a great problem solver?" she smiled.

I also stood. "I don't like yelling."

She stood in silence for a moment.

"Well, here it is... my book collection" she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the first long, tall bookcase. There was a massive adder that slid across the beams attached.

I listened and followed as she showed me the different genre's sections. Her book recommendations, her little comments about the organization of the books, and just babble felt good in my ears. Her voice echoed, making it even longer and more sustained. I liked her voice. It was sweet, yet smart. Interesting and intellectual.

Then we sat down once more. She had a large stack of books in which she intended for me to read in her arms. She set them down on the table in front of us.


	5. Not Again! Erik, You Idiot!

"And what are those?" I stared at the six, no, eight books on the small, low wooden table at my legs.

"Books" she stepped in front of the books and sat at my side. Her hair was in front of her face once more.

"I can see that..." I raised my eyebrows, "but what are they? Genre-wise?"

She picked up a maroon colored book. "Science Fiction. This is an original, first-thought-of story of _Star Trek_."

"Star Trek?"

"Yes... it tells the story of..."

And she explained. Whoa... who knew that such an imaginary world with no reality involved could have such an amazing story line...

She put that book down and picked up another. "This is Historical Fiction..."

Another explanation about some boy... who painted a fence... no, he tricked some other person into doing it... something about a Tom.

"And this is Fantasy."

Something about fairies and ogres.

"Nature."

Flowers and trees.

"Biology."

A brief summary of the human body.

"Your favorite... space and galaxies."

I do like space... and I guess I will find out what a galaxy is...

"Romance novel."

All I heard was a _giant _love octagon with so many names... when I read it, I must have to read carefully to remember them.

"And fictional/fantasy/adventure... _Lord Of The Rings."_

She sat, her hands on her knees, back erect, legs close together.

I picked up the skinny, tall and wide book about space first. I opened the huge cover and saw a large picture of... a... galaxy? Yes... it confirmed this in the little caption-paragraph below the picture. It looked like a bunch of stars... with red and purple... orange and pink... It was the Horse Head galaxy. I could see it... a black little outstretch that looked like the head of the horse. Very interesting...

I set that one down and picked up 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

The first sentence... wow... hard to comprehend and understand... something about a birthday party?

"That one is a very advanced read. It was hard for me to read it at first..." she imposed. She must've understood my confused look.

"And it may be even harder for someone who doesn't know how to read well..." I closed the outrageously thick book and set it down with a blink.

Then the Tom Sawyer book. Hm... it didn't catch my eye with anything like the space book did.

Then the 'Star Trek'. Another long one... I would look at it later.

Ohh.... the biology book... lots of pictures in this one, like the space book. It also had little captions and described what parts the little lines were pointing to. Who knew there were so many muscles in the human body? Two hundred and six bones? Holy...

I flipped the page. Oh... the eye. I thought it was just a mushy ball placed in the head. The cornea? Oh, so the iris is the colored part... everybody is born with blue eyes? Why do they change? How? When?

"See? Books can be exciting!" she leaned on my arm as she also looked at the page.

It got... hot again... my eyes zoomed out of focus and I swallowed. I felt my muscles tense, and my interest in the body deflate. My breathing got just the slightest heavier, yet I felt my heart through my shirt. My many, layered shirts.

Her arm reached across my quaking chest to turn the page. Everything was blurry and I was too hot to notice what was on the page.

She said something, probably some fact or a little-known quirk. But it was just a mumble. My heart raced... and I felt a groan escape my throat.

Next thing I knew, I was being shaken. "Erik?"

Then black. Whoa... what a... fain- whoa... ah... my eyes-... gah...


	6. No, It Couldn't Possibly Be That

"Hey..."

A little pain welted my face. I didn't feel it much... like it was numb and drilling a hole in my tooth to get a cavity filled.

"Erik!" it sounded like a female voice. Not panicked, but loud.

More pain. I felt it now. Like an ice cube falling on your cheek.

The blackness started to subside... leaving blurry vision. I saw two... blobs... above me. Like when you wake up from surgery... with the doctors still working on you.

"Hey beautiful..." one of the blobs said to me. It was the gingerly voice that you use when you see a baby for the first time.

Clearer vision. The two blobs were women... one was calling me 'beautiful'. Gabby and Ms. Thomas.

"Erik! How do you feel?" Ms. Thomas's sweet voice rang in. I smiled, but I didn't know why...

"Mr. Wonderful? Have you hit your beautiful head too hard?" one of the blobs caressed my face. The smile disappeared, and my vision became clearer.

Yes, definitely Ms. Thomas and Gabby. Of course, Gabby was the one who was softly caressing my cheek. Her lips were puckered just the slight, and her eyes were wide. She had blue eyes, just like Ms. Thomas. I blinked and let my eyesight become as clear as it normally is.

"Get off of him, Gabby. He's been out for twenty minutes, I doubt that the first thing that he wants to see is your face. Move over." Ms. Thomas appeared in the image of my eyesight.

"Our faces look the same, you idiot, other than... you know..." Gabby looked mockingly at Ms. Thomas, then her face smoothed and she moved over.

I felt that spongy feeling again... sucking the life from me. I felt... dazey. Like I could keel over at any minute. I guessed from my view... that I was lying down. On a couch or a bed. Something soft.

"How do you feel, Erik? Can you talk?" she leaned towards me.

She had to move her head as I sat up. "Yes, I can speak." My voice sounded weak, but I tried to sound powerful.

I felt her come to my side and hold my back up. She had to bend her knees and bend her own back in order to get to my level.

I was on a bed, definitely. The bedding was white, with gold and that living room blue accents. There was a hanging canopy over me, tinted a shiny gold. I could not see anything else in the room

because the canopy shunned my view of everything except black silhouettes. And Ms. Thomas. Gabby was in the corner of the canopy, away from me. Why? I was like the magnet and she was the iron.

Then I noticed was Gabby was wearing. It was a short, hot-pink, heavy-clothed night... gown? I wasn't sure what it was, but I guessed it was nightwear because she wore fluffy, lime green slippers, and knee-high, green and pink, horizontal stripped, socks. Wow... bright. It burned my eyes just to look at the ensemble. She noticed I was staring, and winked. Her hip was soon jutting out and her hand rested on the extended hip. The foot that was on the leg on the lowered hip turned sideways, allowing me to admire her legs. I didn't want to. She had that 'come hither' look again.

"Ignore her... she's obnoxious 24/7. Even when she sleeps..." Ms. Thomas touched my chest and applied pressure to test my heart.

Gaby returned to her normal standing position and let her lip curl and Ms. Thomas. "Well, excuse me for not being A LIBRARIAN!"

"Well, excuse me for not being a FREAK!" Ms. Thomas kept her hand on my chest as she looked over at Gabby, who backed down.

"She's a super freak, super freak, shes super freaky, Yeah..." Gabby turned around and crossed her arms. After a look from Ms. Thomas, she stopped singing the unusual song. I had never heard of it...

Ms. Thomas lifted my arm and pressed two fingers against my wrist. And set my arm down and

placed the same two fingers on my neck. All the way through, I looked around awkwardly. It was like

going to the doctor's office, except I was somewhat comfortable.

"Your pulse is good," she went over to a little end table that I hadn't noticed before and checked something off.

"One again, how are you feeling?"

This time I wanted to answer. Then I really tried to feel what I was feeling like.

"I'm hot... and my... cheek hurts."

"Oh, you are welcome to take your shirt off any time..." Gabby said, her head turning towards me.

"Gabby!" Ms. Thomas shot her another look, and Gabby turned back to her turned position.

"I apologize for the face pain... we slapped you to wake you up. _Someone _a little harder than they needed to, but they will remain nameless..." Ms. Thomas jerked her head towards Gabby. Gabby spit with her tongue, making a 'pht' sounded

"Hey, don't get your germs in here!"

"You two sure bicker a lot..." I interrupted. They looked at me, then nodded their heads and shrugged.

"Yep, pretty sums us up..." they said in unison.

Must be a girl thing to admit when you bicker. Or act annoying...

Ms. Thomas kept... touching me. Poking. Feeling. Why? I was fine... there was no need to... inspect me.

"You seem alright..."

"What happened, anyway?"

This was nearly exactly what had happened with Diana. I was holding her. All I remember was feeling so... scared. My mind was boggled and foggy... what was wrong with me now?

"Judging by what... happened previously..." she blinked and put down the clipboard she was holding, "you... literally... were scared to death."

"What?"

"Your mix of confusion, heat, being scared, and... some other emotions..." she smiled a small smile then looked at me, "forced your mind to basically shut itself down. Your mind was even _more _confused and scared when your mind has never felt this way before... so it... freaked out... of course, all of this was in simpler terms for you to understand..."

I thought about that. What happened previously? I was reading that biology book... when she- _leaned I into me! _I was scared, hot, confused... but what were those other emotions? Well... since the same thing to me with Diana and the knives... and I felt the same way when Ms. Thomas leaned into me...

No. No, that couldn't possibly be it...

Gabby giggled. She turned from her back-to-me stance and smiled. She looked playful. "So, you dig smart chicks? Hm... I guess we have our little quirks... I _just adore _men in masks..."


	7. What 'That' Is to Erik

"Gabby! Enough!" Ms. Thomas turned towards her. She was red, and so was I.

"Fine, Gene- I mean... Ms. Thomas..." she opened the canopy and smiled as she pranced out. She closed the canopy behind her. "I had better leave you two love birds alone..."

The shadow of Gabby ran as Ms. Thomas came towards her, holding a letter opener as a little sword.

"I'm sorry about her..." she dropped the letter opener on the nightstand next to me, "she is rather rude..."

"Uh... sure... er..." I tensed. She knew about the other emotions. The question was, did I know about the other emotions? I hadn't known they had existed before... but... now? I wasn't sure... but she thought I was. She thought I was attracted to her... but I wasn't. Well... maybe I was... no! No I wasn't!

I have sworn my love to Christine. I have devoted my entire life to her. There is still hope that she may come back... she could always come back. And Raoul. They may be dead, but I am dead inside. They could interact, no? I wasn't sure... I am not a paranormal expert. I am merely a lonely man lost in his own, horrible, distorted world. I was stuck in my ways of Christine... and I would stay there. Ms. Thomas didn't even want me to know her first name... what kind of trust is that? She didn't like her name. BULL! She was hiding from me because she knew that if I knew her real name, then I could find her. I could find her no matter what time it was, or where she was. She knew I could hurt her. She was scared of me. Why would she love me, anyway? I'm a psychopathic, lonely, disfigured murderer. She was a pretty, smart... disfigured... scientist. Psychologist. Like she would ever want to be with me. She said it herself that she didn't want to work with a 'sick person'. I am a pretty sick dude, if you ask me.

But... she knew what it was like. She knew that with a disfigured face, comes a disfigured reputation. You are made fun of, and in my case hunted down, constantly. You are lonely... nobody wants to be near you. And when you someone finally comes around that may... appreciate and enjoy your presence... you worry. You wonder and worry and wish for a reason why this person loves or likes you. You wonder why they want you as a friend. Or a lover. Christine never... truly wanted me... she thought she did. Until that fop Raoul came and reminded her of what a real, normal man is. She knew that she didn't want me. I knew that she didn't want me. The thing was... was desperate for her. I wanted someone... so bad. She was the first person who ever... considered being with me for over a minute. I wanted to keep her so... bad... that I screwed up. I over-reacted because I was so scared, confused, and worried that she would leave me, that I tried to prevent it... but I only made it worse. I let her realize what a monster I am. I failed... and I will fail again.

"Look," Ms. Thomas sat next to my stiff body on the bed. The blush on her face dissipated revealing her natural-colored skin. It was a soft peach... soft.... "It is perfectly natural to be attracted to me. You haven't felt love in such a long time... yet you long for it. You want it so bad... that you will feel drawn to anyone... even a girl like me."

What was that? That last remark? "Hey... what do you mean 'a girl like me'?" I repeated to her. I felt my body loosen just the slight, "One, you are a woman, and two... you are a _fine _woman. You are everything that a ma could... ever want." Well... she was. She was what I wanted. But I couldn't have her, because she didn't want me. And... I would tell myself that I didn't want her either. Because I don't. Lies. Or...was it? God, I'm so confused!

"What do you mean? My face... it is... hideous" she slouched and stared at her feet.

"So? Look at me! I am the most... disfigured man, inside and out... but... well... okay, that was a bad compar-

"No... you are perfect... your face may be disfigured... but you are a _man."_

"So...?"

"You have rights. I had to _fight _to get into college. They would have tossed me away if my brains weren't so... wide. Men judge me in such a way that they are afraid of me. When they see you... they see a man, so they do not mock you or refuse to flirt with you."

"Well... one, didn't you say that you had no such vast knowledge before college? Two, if men see my face, they run. Three, they know that if they try to flirt with me... they die instantly."

She smiled out of her frown, "you know what I mean..."

"Yes... I do. It is true... in today's times... woman are very degraded and underestimated... I don't think it is very fair to you..."

She looked at me. "You... do?"

"Woman are just as smart as men... in your case, smarter. Far smarter. And, you are pretty, you had the ability to impress me into shock..."

"Exactly. I don't want to woo men with my knowledge... I want to woo them with my... appearance."

Well... what do I say to that? Instead of saying anything, I nervously placed my hand on her back. I moved closer to her, now able to see her face, looking at me with some weird look on her face.

She sighed, her eyes trailing down again.

"This may not be too uplifting," I stared at her with as caring of a look as I had the ability to make, "but you impressed me with your appearance."


	8. LEARN

Her head jerked up. Her eyes widened, yet they glistened with a glisten that only beautiful blue eyes could give. "What?"

"Uh..." I really had no idea what to say. I had never been in this position, consoling a girl and telling her that she was pretty.

"Well! Looks like the love master Ms. Thomas is BACK!" Gabby folded the canopy back over as she entered.

"Back? What are you talking about?" Ms. Thomas halted her gaze to me to change it to Gabby. The emotion changed from thankful, to sarcastic.

"I'm not really sure, but I have been saving that line for three years, so I had to use it somewhere." She hopped next to me, lying down. She still wore her obnoxious sleepwear.

"She's very lonely... but you know..."

"OFF!" Ms. Thomas jumped off the bed and ran after Gabby. Gabby looked at her, but did not move.

Whoa... wow... Ms. Thomas had tucked her hands under Gabby's body, lifted her about four inches up, and tossed her aside like she was tissue paper. Strong, smart, sweet, pretty. I shook my head and let my eyes widen as I scooted my back up against the headboard.

"This... is the last time! You are such a little tramp! Why don't you go flirt with the POLE IN WHICH YOU DANCE ON!" Ms. Thomas was... furious. She was two-faced. She was sweet and nice to me, but when it comes to Gabby... mean and cruel. Her mood changes. Her personality changes. She confused me... who was she?

"SHUT UP!" I saw two long, peach arms spring up and grab Ms. Thomas's blonde hair. She yelped and grabbed the arms pulling her hair. Gabby sprung from her position on the floor to knee Ms. Thomas in the gut. Ms. Thomas growled and slapped Gabby in the face. They were soon brawling throughout the room. This was not the typical girl slap fight. This was... MMA...

After Gabby began to cry and Ms. Thomas laughed, I stood up. When Gabby socked Ms. Thomas in the face and I heard an awful crack, I ran to them. Before any of more punches could be thrown, or any more kicks could be kicked, I threw myself between them.

I sucked it up. I sucked the pain in my face into a little black hole. I heard gasps from both Gabby and Ms. Thomas.

"Okay..." I cracked my neck and held my breath, "now that you are stunned... let us stop."

"Erik! I'm so sorry!"

"BEAUTIFUL! Oh, are you okay?"

Soft hands were soon rubbing my face and apologizes were filling my ears.

"Stop!" I yelled. The hands fell. I looked at the two faces. They both stared at me, Gabby's hands over her mouth. "Sit."

They both rushed over to the bed, sitting tightly and upright. They both stared at me with a nervous edge in their eyes.

"Don't worry... I won't kill anybody because they punched my face. My face is ruined enough... it can't get much worse..." I stepped towards them and they leaned away from me.

"Now. Gabby... I must admit that you are annoying. You flirt with me constantly. You dress obnoxiously. Yet, you are nice. I can say that you are not cruel to me. Ms. Thomas. I can say that you are overly-smart and very serious. I have yet to see you smile widely. But, you are sweet, welcoming to me, and you are helping me through this incredibly hard time for me. Look! I... fainted because of you and you helped me! You are both... completely different. One is creative, wild, and flirtatious, the other is smart, genteel, and down-to-Earth. It is incredibly hard for you to interact peacefully. Although, you are _sisters _for Christ's sake! You should not be making each other bleed! And Gabby... you make fun of Ms. Thomas's face constantly. That ruffles my feathers. If you want to make fun of someone's face, make. Fun. of. MINE!" I leaned into her face. She looked completely terrorized as we sat in silence, my fierce eyes staring deep down into her mind.

"Because she is my sister is the exact reason why we terrorize each other. We are used to one another's presence. We do not hate each other... we merely show each other's differences in fighting. Completely psychological. Commonly known as 'sibling rivalry'. And she makes fun of my face because she knows I won't hurt her too much. With you..."

"With me? WITH ME?" I moved my head up now, allowing Gabby to sit up, "I... my dear mademoiselle... am a murderer. Do not compare our lives. I live alone. I was beaten. I was... in living Hell. I still am! I don't have a chance to live a normal life. You have... a scarred face. Ohhh... boys won't flirt with you... Oh God, kill me now!"

Her lower lip sucked in. Her chest moved faster. Her face turned angry and... some other emotion...

"Oh no! I live in a house... ooohh... but I have an ugly face! Murder me! I haven't been hurt a slight but, God help me, I am not a man magnet!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" she stood up. She was loud and her voice was cracking. Her face was wet. "YOU KNOW WHAT? I CAN COMPARE OUR LIVES! BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN BEATEN! I HAVE BEEN RAPED! I HAVE BEEN SHUNNED, EMBARRASED, AND EVENTUALLY I ESCAPED! I RAN! I WAS A LITTLE COWARD! I RAN TO AMERICA AND STUDIED FOR A LIFE IN A DARK HOLE! YOU EVER WONDER WHY I AM SO SMART, HUH? WONDER WHY I CARE? BECAUSE IT WAS. ALL. I EVER. HAD. JUST LIKE YOUR MUSIC, PHANTOM! HOW IRONIC! A MAN CAME INTO MY LIFE, GIVING ME HOPE! THEN, AFTER SEEING A PRETTY WOMAN, HE ALMOST KILLED ME! I'M SORRY I HAVE A HEART, ERIK! I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVE HAD A HORRIBLE LIFE LIKE YOU! YOU JUST HATE THE FACT THAT YOU CANNOT BLAME YOUR PITY LIFE ON ME ANYMORE! I. HAVE. HAD. IT . TOO! LEARN!"

I stood I silence as she grabbed my shirt and forced my face towards her. What?

"LEARN WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, OKAY? YOU THINK I WAS RUN OVER BY A TRACTOR? NO! I. WAS. IN. A. FOUR. WAY. COLLISION. WITH. CARRIAGES! MAYBE IF YOU STOPPED FEELING SO MUCH SELF PITY, ALLOWED YOURSELF TO ACTAULLY FIND YOURSELF, LIKE I DID, THEN MAYBE GOD WILL FIND HIS WAY TO YOU! YOU MAY ACTAULLY BE HAPPY! I HAVE SEEN YOU! YOU LOVE TO LEARN, ERIK! I KNOW THIS! THOSE BOOKS... THE TELESCOPE! HOW GOOD DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LEARNED SOMEHTING NEW? WHEN YOU FOUND OUT THAT SOMEONE WAY KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE?" Her voice cracked as more tears fell, "HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE THAN YOUR PRECIOUS CHRISTINE? HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU FINALLY LOVED ANOTHER WOMAN! THAT LITTLE TINGLE! EH? I KNOW THIS, ERIK! I CAN FEEL IT NOW! OKAY? L.E.A.R.N!"

She dropped my shirt and threw open the canopy. If it was a door... she would have slammed it. I stood there... listening to a real door slam.

"Dude..." Gabby said from behind me, "do you know how long it has been since she did that? Since she... vented and cried and yelled?"

"Gabby... shut up."

"NO!" she stood up. Great. The Sister Brigade. "Do you know what you just did? The feeling... that you just gave her?"

"Horrible."

"No... good."

"I think you have been looking at your clothes too long."

"No... she hasn't even spoken to me like that in... ever. Never. She needs someone that knows what it is like... to be beaten and shunned. She may have seemed angry there... but she was crying, did you notice? She needs you. I'll... go talk to her." her voice got soft and quiet like Ms. Thomas's.

What? What the... What? Had she really... had a life like that? Like me? Had she really... known that feeling when you find someone you love...?

I looked down. What was I going to do now? Go talk to her? No... too soon...

So I sat on the bed. I thought about everything she said. I probably made such a jack-ass of myself. I put my head in my hands. God... why do I fail? At everything? I can't talk to anyone... I can't interact with anyone... what was I doing out of my cave?

No. No, Ms. Thomas was right. I... could get out of my pity life. I just... don't know how... I... am stuck in my ways, I admit. I force hatred upon myself. I exaggerated so much. My life could be okay... if I made it that way. I didn't know how. How do I get people to believe that I am not really all bad.

This was the first time that I admitted to myself that I wasn't too bad. The first time that I admitted that I didn't hate myself... the first.

Oh God... I felt horrible. I made Ms. Thomas feel belittled and I made her cry and yell. She could relate to me... and I knew that she did not lie to me. You do not lie when you are grabbing a murderer's shirt .

No... not murderer... a man. A normal... content man... that was it. All that I was...

I needed to apologize... badly. I was a jerk, now. A cruel man. But I could fix it... if she would let me. She needed to... allow me to talk. To listen.

For I knew exactly what to say.


	9. Rolls Off The Tongue

Gabby cracked open the door. I could see one blue eye and half her nose. Half her mouth.

I shrugged and smiled, then tried to look beyond her to see Ms. Thomas. Gabby didn't block my view, but I couldn't see in the little slit that was available.

Gabby smiled a little smile at me and opened the door to step out. She closed it softly behind her.

"Be careful... don't push it..." and she walked away. I listened to her step down the stairs as I stood nervously. I knew what I was going to say... but I was assuming that she was listening. She may still be... peeved.

I cracked open the door. I held the handle in place for a moment while I sighed a deep breath. Then I stepped in. She was hunched over a wooden table, one arm extending towards a notebook, a pen in hand. I assumed there was a book in front of her.

"1498..." she mumbled to herself, "through 1505..."

I stepped cautiously towards her. She appeared as if she had no idea of my presence... but I knew she did. She was just ignoring me...

"Greatest influence..." she scribbled, "his mother..."

I was directly behind her. She was holding a book... a very large book... with only words. Very small words.

I closed my eyes and wrapped one of my arms around her chest. She gasped. I bent my head down to her eye level and wrapped my other arm around her abdomen. She dropped her pen and I pulled her arm close to her body. She stood, and I stood, my lips almost touching her neck. She breathed heavily and I breathed softly.

"I'm so very sorry, Ms. Thomas..." I whispered into her skin, "could you... ever... forgive me for the way that I acted?"

She said nothing. Her head was leaning to the left so that I could get in the position that I was in now. Her eyes closed. The hand that was on her chest moved to her cheek. Her scarred face. Her head leaned into my hand. I smiled silently that she was relaxing in my capturing.

"I..." I breathed, "had no idea that you... have had such a life" I stopped smiling.

She was about to say something, then she choked herself off.

"I should not have come to a conclusion that you have not had a less-that-satisfying life. I could not guess just by my very little knowledge of you."

She sighed and held my wrist with one of her soft, clean hands.

"You... can guess that I have not felt the feeling of falling in love for quite a while."

"Yuh-huh..." she still fell into me. I was supporting her dazed body.

"I had no idea what to do... especially... when that one person... that one special person... loves you back."

Her eyes opened. She stared into open space, but still fell limp into me. Her other hand was on the side of my thigh. I wouldn't have felt it if she wasn't applying a small amount of pressure to try to balance herself. I had her sturdy, but she did not release her grip. It was right above my knee, so if was not awkward.

I stayed still. I wanted to wait for her reaction before I said anything else.

But she just stared and gripped my leg. Hm.

"Ms. Thomas..." I attempted to make some sort of movement, "I... I love you."

And I meant this. I knew it now. I loved her so much, I hurt. I loved her so much, I wanted to scream it to the world. Scream it to the Heavens so that Christine and Raoul would hear.

Nothing. I was scared now. What on Earth was she going to do? Please... make some sort of reaction. Good or bad... anything... I closed my eyes. Maybe praying, maybe not.

"If you truly do love me," a soft, quiet, beautiful voice interrupted my thoughts, forcing my eyes open. I let my eyelids fall at half-staff, "then you should probably stop calling me Ms. Thomas... only friends, siblings, and people that I don't know call me Ms. Thomas. If you really lovr me, then you can call me by my first name."

My eyes widened. I didn't move any part of my body, but her head became more supportive of itself.

"I told you I dislike my name. That is not entirely true.. I dislike my name, only because it was my mothers. No one has liked my name since... so why should I?" the hand that held my thigh lifted and touched the back of my neck. Her hand was warm. "My name is Genevieve Thomas."

Genevieve. What a wonderful, beautiful name. It rolled off my tongue as I repeated to her neck. Genevieve. Splendid. Wondrous. Classy. Smart. The name Genevieve held a standard to it that was utter beauty. It was like butter on the English muffin... or the icing on the cupcake. Sweet. Interesting.

"Yes... Genevieve..." her hand trailed from my neck to my head. I felt the wig come off. I felt her gentle hand drag through my red-blonde, stringy real hair.

My eyes closed again. No one has ever done that... ever. No mother, no lover. Only her. It felt... tantalizing. Comforting... peaceful...

"And I love you too, Erik De Graff" her head leaned on top of mine.


	10. Only Bliss

I had spent the night at Genevieve's house. I slept on the white bed, covered with the canopy, while the women slept in their rooms. Yes, I slept. I was incredibly tired for some odd reason. It had only been a month since I had slept... why was I tired?

Either way, I slept very well that night. I had no dreams that haunted my mind all night. In fact, the image of Genevieve's confession to me replayed in my mind. The feeling of her fingers gently caressing my head, running through my thin blonde/red hair. I had closed my eyes to enjoy the feeling. Her warm lips kissed my scalp... a feeling that I had never felt before. Love. Eternal, true love.

There was a slight tapping on the door which I could not see. The canopy had been drawn once again.

"Erik?" a soft voice echoed in my ears. It almost made me smile... but I was tired.

"Yes," I smiled now, "Genevieve?"

"May I come in?"

I checked my hair and straightened it. I brushed off my shoulder, even though there was nothing to brush off. This was always a habit of mine... at had been since I finally received some pride when I left the circus. When I finally learned to stitch. To make clothes.

"Yes" I finally said after I finished my check.

I saw a black shadow emerge from beyond the curtain. It got closer and closer, the slight tapping of shoes rang, and then the curtain unfolded.

She wore half of her hair down in front of her scarred half. But the rest... was pulled up in a ponytail. This was... unusual. No one had ever worn their hair like that... then again... no one else had scars.

Her body was dressed with odd clothes. I could... see her ankles. And not just her ankles. Her... shin. Half of her thigh. Then her legs were dressed with khaki shorts with pockets. She wore these odd shoes.... black and white. They had laces... not common with women. But she was not a common woman. She wore a light blue T-shirt and over it, and dark blue trailblazer. She hung a black, medium-sized book bag over her shoulder.

She must've noticed my staring. She rolled her eyes... eye. "I know... not what you are used to. But... I am going bird watching today. It is hard to do anything that I do other than read in a dress."

I still stared at her. She was very... curvy. One of the easiest ways to describe her... was curvy. Her legs and her abdomen... a gentle curve.

"I was wondering... if you wanted to come with me."

"Hm?" I was lost in her. Her everything.

"Bird watching. I could teach you a thing or two. Birds are fascinating too..." her long legs moved over to the bed where I lay and she sat at my feet.

"Well... I would love to. I don't know a single thing about birds... and judging by, you... I am guessing you do" I smiled wider, and Genevieve mimicked me.

I moved my back up against the headboard. I didn't have my mask on... or my wig. She was seeing me... and smiling at it.

She moved closer to me and our smiles depleted. I moved a naked hand over to her face. I softly brushed the normal side of her face. She stared back into my eyes. That piercing blue that captured me every time. My fingers swiftly and slowly moved the hair in front of her face, behind her ear.

The beautiful scars. The beautiful face that could only be exposed with the scars. She smiled at me.

"There she is..." I smiled back. It was true...

Her long-fingered hand touched the disfigured part of my face softly. "I like the mask off, Erik."

"I like the hair out of the way."

I don't know why I found this... attractive. Wasn't beauty supposed to be imperfection less? Not her... no. I... love her. Her face. Her soul. Her mind. She was mine. She would be forever mine. Only mine. No other man to interrupt our eternal love. My face could not destroy this relationship... for her face was distorted too. No beauty and and no beast. Two beasts. Two beasts that could love... with no holding back.

Then she leaned in and kissed me. Well... I knew she was going to do this. I closed my eyes and got my mouth in kissing position. I tilted my head and bumped noses with her. In an attempt to meet her lips, I tilted my head the other way. Apparently she thought the same, and she tilted her head to let our noses bump again. We both opened our eyes and smiled. She put her hands on each side of my face.

"Stay."

When her soft lips joined mine... I could barely feel it. Then her hands loosened their firm hold. She pecked my lips again, but deeper. Her hands now trailed to the back of my neck. This time I deepened the kiss. It was longer... and I wanted it to never end. My hand was placed on the small of her back. She leaned into me further which deepened the kiss more.

I felt my head get hot... but I pushed it away. If I was going to faint... I would do it later. Pht... if I was going to faint... God help me never faint again.

We pulled apart. We would have never split, but since we are mammals, we needed to breathe. We opened our eyes slowly and stared into them. She smiled at each other with twitchy lips. I could still feel her lips on mine... sweet... loving... mine.

"Genevieve" I whispered to her.

"Yes?" she whispered back.

"Please," I stopped smiling for a moment, "please, tell me something. One thing. Please tell me that there is no one else but me. No one else that you could... ever... in your wildest dreams... ever fall in love with. Only me. Tell me the truth. Please. I need to know now..."

Flashbacks. So... many... painful flashbacks. Christine. Raoul. Her voice. His stupid, girly hair. I just wanted to take a handful of the glue that kept my fake hair tamed, and rub it all over his head. His precious hair would be forever messy... ha.

She tilted her head again. Her hand that was placed on her bent leg, now felt my rapid heartbeat on my chest. "Erik De Graff," she also stopped smiling, "I solemnly swear that you are the only man in my life. The only man that I would ever want in my life. The short time that I have seen you... we... clicked. I almost heard a 'ding' when I first saw that mask. When I saw deep into your psyche... your mind... I knew I loved you. Did you know that I have never... ever... shared my knowledge with anyone else. Sure... proverbs and stuff... but I have never shown anyone Venus before. You are the first student of the University of Genevieve."

I smiled. "You're lucky. You seemed to have scored a stupid one. He knows nothing. You could tell that idiot anything and he would believe it."

"God, I would kick him out if he wasn't so... enchantingly beautiful" her sarcastic tone surprised me. She did not deem to me as a sarcastic person.

"Beautiful? I have heard a lot of expressions about me... but never beautiful."

"Hm. Well... considering that you talk in third person, I am not surprised."

"Third person...?"

"I will explain it to you later... for now... let's not go bird watching."

I raised my eyebrow. "What? Well, what do you propose to do? I obviously don't have any plans."

She smiled. "I know some people who may have some connections to some things..."

"What are you getting at?"

"Diana."

"What?"

"Diana is your first love. The first genuine love that you have ever felt for anything. Object, woman, friend. She was family. All you really want is family... someone else. That could be me, Diana, Gabby, or anyone else in which you could spend the rest of your life with. Not an eternal love... but merely a family or friendly love. Everyone yearns for this. Lusts for this. I do... every day. And especially with our situation... it makes us feel just that much more hopeless. Like nobody could ever see who we really are. So... when Diana entered your life... if affected you in ways you don't know. You have never felt it. You know now... that it is family love, Erik. That is nothing that will merely pass over over time. It will remain. Sure... Chr- what was her name...?"

"Christine. Christine Daae."

"Ah. Your lust for Christine will wear off..."

"It already has. Honestly... I really do not have affection for Christine."

"Ah... but where there is recension, there is affection... who would you have recension towards?"

"Probably Raoul... the man that stole her away... anyway, so who were these people you speak of?" I really didn't want to bring this up. This subject... was annoying. It pestered me. It was not not hurtful, or painful, but annoying. It had no pain, but more roll-eyes-at-that emotion.

"Well... his name is... you're going to laugh," she laughed herself, "Da Haunt."

"Da Haunt? Well then... tell him to learn some grammar. What does he do?"

She smiled. "He... makes... fake paperwork. He can get you a passport, and everything else. The only problem... he lives in the south side of Paris."

"Ugh... I hate the south side. I guess with his name... he belongs there..."

"Yes... and... since you need a passport to get to America to get Diana..." she nudged me.

"No. No. You are the one that said to do this legally. I will not get all of this fake government stuff. Ever. No."

"Oh, Erik... it is very unlikely that we will be caught. Billions of people do it."

"So?"

"You won't get it legally... that is too hard, yes?"

"I do want to get Diana back..."

"Yes. Legal work is so hard... believe me, I worked in that force."

"But... that is... exactly what it is called. ILLEGAL! It is wrong... and illegal."

"Yes... and... guess what, ILLEGAL!"

"Why do you want to help me anyway? You told me that you didn't want me to go. How would I obtain her? I would have to steal her. And you said-"

"Look. I know what I said. But I figured... as a trade-off..."

"You want to bribe me?"

"Just listen. I figured that... if I didn't tell the cops... that I could go with you."

"To where?"

"To go get Diana. I have always wanted to go to Colorado... very mountainous area. Very pretty. And... I want to see how your psyche changes when she is around."

"This... this is an experiment to you?"

She moved close to me again. Her hand rested on my chest and her eyebrows curved in. Sometimes I wish that I had two eyebrows. I only had one, for my distorted face also distorted hair growth. If I wanted to grow a beard, I would only have it on one half of my face.

"No... no... I love her too, Erik. She loved to read. She loved to just come to the library, and talk to me. She always asked my opinions... which nobody else really ever cared about. She always wanted to know what was behind my hair. She always walked right up to the front desk and asked me to 'psych-i-fie' her. She would call it that, and I found it catchy. She was the only one that I ever showed the top floor to... no one else. She was the only little child that came to the library for purposes other than school projects."

"I see... but you cannot go."

"Well... why not?"

"Because... this is a private trip... if I even lower myself enough to do these things illegally."

"But... you love me..."

"I am not saying that I don't... I just want to do this alone."

"I see... I will just tell the police that you obtained government papers illegally..."

"WHAT?" I folded my legs in a criss-cross fashion, "you are going to tell the police for something that you convinced, no forced," I stood up, letting Genevieve brace herself with her arms in the bed, "me to do? What would you say? Completely blame it on me? Pht... sure. What love." Now I was sarcastic.

"No... no..." she began to stand up to match my stance, staring at her.

"Oh! Then what have you to say?"

"Not blame you... but... turn you in. Not say anything. The police don't care if you admit to it. They don;t ask questions..."

"And what if I don't admit to it."

"Then you go to court. Then after seeing your... past excursions..." she was now touching the cloth on my heart again, "you will be arrested for seven billion counts of murder, and several accounts of forged government paperwork."

"I can feel the draw between our hearts so much right now," and I felt a tear slide down my distorted face, "I love you too."

I don't know why I cried or speed-walked out of the room. More... betrayal. I either had to take her with me, or be arrested to life in prison. I leaned my forehead against the pale purple wall of the hallway. I hadn't even taken a moment to look at the room in which I slept. She wasn't leaving me for another man, but she was still willing to give away our love. And to make it worse, to the police. And with a bribe. I could not win... now I know how Christine must've felt.

"E-Erik?" I heard a voice. Was that Genevieve? Did she come after me? "Beautiful! What's the matter, Hun?"

Ah, Gabby. She put her white-gloved hand on my shoulder. My arm helped balance myself on the wall. It was holding my weight above my head as I leaned into it.

"Go away Gabby," I turned my distorted face away from her, "I really do not want to talk right now."

I was soon encased in her arms from behind. Her head leaned on my arched back. Her arms crossed across my chest. I can't imagine how stupid she looked right now. Idiotic infidel.

"Don't cry. Blue skies. Chirping birds..." her voice was soft again.

Birds. Bird watching. Ah... what was going to happen to that plan? I guessed that she would not want to go with me anymore. God, why do I suck at reactions? Why can I never say or do anything right?

Or... why can I not be the old Phantom? The Opera Ghost that kills to show his displeasure. The evil haunt that is mean and cruel and heartless. Why am all of a sudden a soft, squishy, heart-full man? I needed to wear the pants, not the skirt. Unless it was a kilt. Then I would wear it... eh, never mind. Pants it is.

"Now... tell me what happened..." she snuggled her chin under my jaw.

"Erik is merely shocked. Shocked at how an intelligent, some-what pretty woman can be so evil." We both turned our heads to see Genevieve. She was smiling with a certain glint in her eye. Intelligence. Intelligence glint.

"That is so right... but not evil. Merely... anti."

"Anti? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Anti everything. You don't want me. You don't want THIS!" My fingertips pointed to my face which faced her fully.

"You, sir," she stepped close to me,Gabby backing off tediously, "have no idea how much I want that."

She kissed me again. I heard a 'ooooohhhhh' from Gabby, but ignored it. I didn't feel like kissing her. She didn't want me.

_Aw, who am I kidding? I wanted her to kiss me. And she wanted me to kiss her back. _

When we broke apart, we stared again.

"I'm so sorry, Erik," her smile turned to a sympathetic look, "I-I didn't know that it would make you... cry."

"It just... snapped my sensitive nerve, you know? With my... past experience with love... I-" I choked on my tears that I held in my throat, "I am so scared. You have no idea how hard I am trying to keep you. All I want is someone to love..."

She leaned into my chest. Her hair smelled good. Floral. Her arms wrapped around my back.

"I know. I know you do. Because I do too, Erik. So much. So much it _burns._ But now, Erik... now you are soothing that burn. And when you stormed out of that room... it burned harder."

"So we are both scared of each other," I smiled as she departed from my body, "agreed?"

She smiled too. "Agreed."

"When did all of this go down?" Gabby's eyes were wide and her arms spread out.

We rolled our eyes. Her arm wrapped around my shoulder, and my hand gently gripped her arm. Our hips bumped. She was a woman, so naturally, hers were wider. Then we opened the door to my sleeping quarters and stepped inside. We were still attached, and we ignored Gabby's questions behind us.

After a moment of waiting for Gabby to stop banging on the locked door, we sat down on a white love seat. It also had gold lining... like the bed.

She leaned on my shoulder. I felt her soft, long fingers swirl on the back of my neck. Little circles... one after another. I couldn't help but let a soft, breathy moan escape my throat. She giggled.

"You know... there is a main nerve on your spine, right... here," she pressed softly on a spot on my neck, "that sends messages to the brain... in which signs pleasure. Which sends more messages to the nerves around my fingertips... and those send a message to your skin... which makes the hair the back of your neck stand up."

And I chuckled. She was so smart.

Her fingers ran up and down my back. My eyes closed. How did she do that? She could... defeat me. She could make me like wet clay. Easy to mold, then all you have to do is let it sit for a few days, and it is stuck in place. She froze me. I was sitting for a few days now.

"You know what Genevieve?" I opened my eyes and grabbed her wrist that was on the cushion close to my body.

"What?"

"There is a decision," I pointed to my temple with the hand that wasn't grabbing her wrist, "that sends messages to my lips which sends the message to you to say that I wish for you to come with me to go get Diana."

And her head abruptly lifted from my shoulder. She stared into my blue/green eyes. Her eyes welled with tears and smiled. It was a shaky smile... but it was confident in the same way.

"Really?" she moved the hand on the back of my neck to the distorted side of my face.

"I want you there. I want you there to help me. And, since you won't send me off to prison, you can help me break the law."

She laughed softly, "We both know that breaking the law is nearly always the easiest way to get places and get things done. And for the record... I really wouldn't have turned you in. You know I wouldn't have. I am not that mean... I love you too much."

Now I felt like a fool. I guess I let the fear of her desertion get the best of me. I... know that she wouldn't. But I was over-reacting. I always do when I am scared out of my mind.

"Yay... I root for team 'Legally Obtain'!" I laughed as she leaned in to kiss me and our smiles depleted.

This kiss was unusually... deep. Maybe it was the certain pose... or something else. Or we didn;t peck at first. Or blush. Only kiss.

Only bliss.


	11. Surprise! Take That Any Way Included

Ugh. I hated south Paris. This is where all of the poor, crime-doers live. In horrible condition houses. Going down here makes me thankful to have a nice, damp, dark hole to live in. These horrible people refuse help, so I refuse to feel sympathy for them.

"Relax, Erik. I dressed you up so that you will blend in... loosen your muscles" Genevieve's hand gripped my knee sweetly.

"I believe the term is 'loosen up' where we are..." I gazed out the carriage's window. People sitting on their porches didn't stare, for we rented a dumpy, old carriage. The horses were the same... but we just threw some dirt on them. I would help Genevieve wash them. The driver was an old poor man we found off the street an offered him one hundred francs to drive us.

I felt uncomfortable. I had a bag over my face instead of the mask. I hated bags. Childhood memories and feelings came with bags. Especially when it was over my face, with two eye holes cut for eyes. Genevieve wore her hair down, half in front of her face, as usual. Her hair would fit in... but I would not.

The carriage stopped. My hidden wrist watch said it was two o'clock. I wore a plain tan, long sleeve shirt, with tan, long pants. I wore no shoes. As I looked at the people outside their homes, I knew I would fit in.

What confused me was what Genevieve wore. It was so... anti-fit in. A shiny, black dress that went to her ankles. It had a slit right up the side. It went to her knee. She wore black, strapped high heel shoes. Metallic, shiny hoop-like earrings. And a matching, sleek necklace. Several metal bracelets on her bare wrist. The dress was held up with two, skinny straps. Her arms were bare. She was muscular for a woman. Not burly, but beautifully toned. Her face was made up. Obnoxiously. Red lipstick and too much overall.

"Da Haunt likes black. Dark and shiny. And... figure-complimenting. It is for our own good." She must've noticed my staring.

"And I have to wear rags?" I raised my invisible eyebrows. Eyebrow.

"He likes women who... seem better than their man so he thinks that he could woo them over."

"Why is 'Da Haunt' even... bringing appeal into this? I just want to get my illegal documents, and get out of this filth they call a town." I squirmed in my seat.

"Because he does as he pleases. You need to do everything he wants, in order to get what you want. He likes women... so here I am."

"I can't believe that you would lower yourself like this. Letting another man flirt with you in order to get what you want."

"I know. It is against everything that I believe in. But... you said it. All you want is someone to love. And we are going to get her."

I pursed my lips and sighed through my nose. This was sure going to be fun. Letting some con look at my dearest like she was some sort of hussy.

"I'm sorry..." she leaned on me again, "I just want to help in any way I can."

"How do you even know what he likes?"

"I... have done this before. For Gabby. She was stuck in America... and I sent things to her over mail. Thank God they didn't check what was inside."

"You are such a felon!" I stared at her with a smile.

"I know... but... sometimes it is your last resort." And she smiled too.

Then the carriage stopped again after it had started from last time. I looked out the window but saw only buildings. Homeless begged at no one. What was she doing.... here?

The driver didn't get out and open the door for us. We had to open it ourselves. Classy. I looked at the poor ones.

"This building, Erik" Genevieve grabbed my arm and guided me to the building on the other side of the bumpy road.

Bright lights. Big sign. Now I know why there were so many poor people around.

A casino. A filth hole. Why didn't I expect a conning, illegal man to work in such a place.

"I know... just... ignore anyone who talks to you, and go along with the flow that I give you, okay?" she folded her elbow with mine. She guided me towards the building. I noticed that she had an extra swish of her hips. She had a determined look on her face.

A crowd of whistles and shouts of admiration from poor people filled our ears. I grabbed her arm more forcefully and squeezed.

"Relax... go with the flow" she whispered to me.

"You did not give me this flow. They did" I squeezed harder.

And she opened the door. Music. Shouts. Glasses clapping. Talking. Gambling. Cards. Lights. Happiness. Sadness.

Slots and green-topped tables were in sight. The carpet was bright with navy blue, lime green, and red swirls. To my left, massive bars with drunken idiots chatting and hanging over the table.

What a wonderful place for The Phantom Of The Opera to be.

She let go of my arm and strutted confidently in front of me. I guess this was a flow. I... really didn't feel like strutting, so I merely walked behind her. There was one massive green table ahead of us. I couldn't see anything except people huddling over the table. Butterscotch-colored drinks on the table.

And she strutted right up to that huddle of people surrounding the table. The men stared at her and she turned heads. She turned my head. They all whewed just like the bums on the street. She stood in between two men who sweet talked her. I don't even want to think the things that they said to her. I clenched my teeth.

My mouth opened now. Whoa. She put a delicate hand on both of their chests. They were both drunk and excited. Then she... tipped them over. The stools made a loud sound as they hit the ground. The other men laughed at their masculinity.

She beckoned me with a single finger. I cautiously stepped forward. She grabbed my shirt and pulled me close to her.

"You have me, be damn proud of it..." she licked her lips and rolled her eyes as I stumbled.

"Yes you should..."

The voice came from beyond the table. I looked to see a man. A man... with no face. Everything except his mouth was covered by... a large hat. With giant fans tilted to hide it. He leaned on the table, straight arms balancing him. He wore a black T-shirt, with a pine green vest over it. He wore a pointless tie. His lips were opening and closing to chew minty gum loudly. "She is an amazing beauty... and an amazing business partner too."

She giggled and twisted her hips.

I rolled my eyes.

The Hat Man must've spotted my eye-rolling. His smiling, chewing mouth now only chewed. He hopped over the table, knocking over several small glasses to the floor, the contents. He walked slowly over to me with an uneven step.

"And what would your problem be, Rag Man?" he got as close to my face as he could with the obnoxious black hat's lid in the way.

"He's just a little uneasy with all of yer sweet talkin' to me. He's my new man" Genevieve flipped her hair that did not cover her scars. She now leaned on the table, her back on the wooden edge.

"Ah. I see. And I be guessing that he ain't the most expensive man..." he twisted his head to the left, then to the right. It made an obnoxiously loud crack. His chewing stopped. Instead, he spit his gum on my feet. I felt it and I grimaced. What a horrible being.

"And I insist, my dear infidel..." I twisted my neck in a circle. One giant train of loud, painful-sounding cracks filled our ears. I rolled my shoulders, more cracks. "That you man up and learn some manners."

His mouth dropped in a smile. "You are in my casino, Rag Man, and you play by my rules," He pushed me with his index finger, "got it?"

Genevieve shot me a look. I didn't react. I only stood. He flicked me on the forehead with his ring finger and turned.

What was that? He... flicked me. Ohhh... terrifying. He didn't punch or at least slap... but flick.

Genevieve turned back from good cop to bad cop. She grabbed a fistful of his tie and pulled. He was being choked. I laughed inside my head.

"I have had so many women try to do that," he sounded weak, "you are going to have to try harder."

And she did.

"Okay... okay... what do you want?"

She smiled and released her hold. He smiled and loosened his tie once more.

"Come to my office. But one moment please" He hopped over the table once more and stood erect to the huddle of people. He nodded his head to two empty seats. She boldly sat down and I tediously.

"And what are we playin' today, mates?" He kneeled down and grabbed a deck of cards. They were placed in his palm.

"Texas Hold Em'. Anyone out?" Genevieve grabbed the gold drink that the bartender handed to her. He was on the other, adjacent table. A bar.

What was Texas Hold Them? I guessed a card game... for the deck of cards.

"Alright... let's play."

Oh no... I guess I was in. Playing. What to do. I looked around at the other, half-drunk players. Genevieve was the only one not dazzled by her own beauty. They held their palms out to Da Haunt. I nervously did the same.

Da Haunt lay the cards on the table face-up so we could see the numbers. He did it in a single swipe of the hand.

One of his fingers went across the table, touching each of the palms of the people willing to play. One had their palm in their lap. Could I quit now?

"Ah," he smiled at Genevieve, "not the least bit nervous, I see."

So that was what he was doing. He felt the sweat on the palms of the players. I almost put my hand down to wipe my sweaty palm dry, but he caught my wrist.

"U-uh..." he pulled my hand up once more, "you needed to quit before we began playing."

And he swiped my palm with his index finger. He smiled. "And here's our Niagara Falls. So you're a bit nervous, eh, Rag Man? First time?"

"Yes. Actually... I don't even know what Texas Hold Them is" I pulled my hand back and dried it.

Everyone laughed. At me. Humiliating to be in this casino and not able to play this game. Humiliating to be in this position once more. In a mask, wearing rags, people calling me 'Rag Boy' or 'Rag Man'. In a busy place with bright candles in glass jars everywhere.

"Well..." Da Haunt stopped laughing a breathy laugh, "you can only learn from experience... so let's begin, you excluded, and you can watch."

"Well, Da Haunt," Genevieve took a sip of the gold drink in which she requested a moment ago, "you have never done that before... that is very generous."

"Maybe my mind is merely boggled by your beauty" he still leaned in front of me, but his fingers tickled under her chin. She didn't pull back.

So I sat back. "You can look at MD. T's cards. Just don't say anything and merely look" Da Haunt flipped the cards back into his palm with a single swipe.

I stood and stepped behind Genevieve. "I'm guessing you are MD. T" I snuggled my chin under her long neck. She giggled and put her hand on my bagged head. I smiled under my mask, knowing that how she was acting was just an act to help me. To help me get more love than what she was giving me. A daughterly love. A complete love.

"Alright..." Da Haunt kept the cards in his palm, "let's get this party started."

And everyone who was playing held out their hand, like when he tested nervousness. But they jutted the heel of their palm forward.

Oh... my. Whoa... wow. He flipped the cards from one hand to another in a straight row. Then, he flipped them in a circle, as if he was juggling, in little stacks. He held them in one hand, then flipped them right above his head, into the hand behind his back.

"Get ready, my pets..." he took half of the stack in one hand, the other in the other. They made an 'X' as he crossed the cards over to the opposite hand. He made them into one stack, then handed out several cards at an amazing speed into the open palms of the players. My mouth hung agate as he got every card in the exact place where the players just had to hold out their palms to get the cards. Genevieve still held my head and some drunken idiot had pulled a stool up for me to sit in. And I did.

"Let's start the fun with our very own beauty, MD. T," he stood back and leaned on the table, "and you all know that I will be right back."

He hopped over the table and let the tie fly as he landed. It hit the lid of his hat, and he lifted it down again. Then he strutted out of the room confidently and closed the door behind him as he entered a new room.

"Alright..." she threw a couple round, plastic chips in the center of the table, "I bid 100 francs."

100 francs! Was I paying? Then I looked at her cards. Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10, all of the same suit. Was that good?

"I call," said one drunken idiot, "and make it 200 francs."

"I fold," said another drunk, "I got a wife, ye know?"

"I raise," said a nicely-dressed man showing his chest with a large opening down the bright green shirt, "400 francs."

"Six hundred francs!" Genevieve licked her lips and scanned the opponents, "too low for me. I raise to one thousand francs."

One hundred ten francs.

Two thousand francs.

Two thousand three hundred.

"I raise," Genevieve finally said, "to five thousand francs."

There were only three in when Da Haunt returned and leaped over the table. "Hm... somehow beautiful women make men bet more... Big game of gambling we have here."

I grabbed her arm, as if he would try to steal her. I didn't like her in these clothes... or her face all clowned up. She was acting like she did this for a living. She was an intelligent, beautiful, well-behaved librarian.

She didn't pull me off or attempt to. "Relax... the game is almost over. I can get this poor fool to fold."

"I raise to six thousand francs" her only opponent said confidently. He was green-vest man.

"I raise to eight thousand francs" Genevieve opened and closed the fan of cards in her hand.

"I raise to ten thousand francs" the idiot leaned into the table and looked at her from behind his dark glasses.

"Fool," she said and flipped her non-covering her again, "to end this so I can get to my business... I raise to thirty thousand francs."

I stared at her. She put her painted-nailed finger over where my lips would be if I wasn't wearing a mask.

The man looked shocked. It was an amazing amount of money... especially where we were. Da Haunt smiled and cleaned a glass with a rag. How could he see? The hat was over everything but is lips and chin.

"I-I-" he squirmed in his seat, "I call."

And she laid her cards on the table. Everyone gasped and stared. Then their eyes trailed over to the man, who looked unsettled. Genevieve smiled and tilted her head boldly.

He laid down his cards. A four, five, six, seven, eight in the same suit. Everyone laughed and I smiled. I knew hers were better from the reaction of the people around us.

"Well," she pulled in the massive chip pile in the middle of the table with her arms, "Looks like I just won thirty thousand francs. Thank you very much, men. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to have a little business discussion with Mr. Haunt, please."

I stood and some freak stole the stool away. He ran with it above his head screaming "FREEDOM!" I couldn't help but think of how proud his mother must be.

"Mmm... say Mr. Haunt again..." Da Haunt closed his eyes and smiled a mischievous smile.

"Mr. Haunt. Master card player and the runner of all gambling" She put her hand where his shoulder blades would be.

"Yes... yes..." he opened them again, "come to my office, and let us discuss your requests, beautiful..."

Their elbows entwined and she guided her past a crowd of people.

"Come on, Rag Loser... follow me. I'm guessing she brought you here for a reason..." he looked back with a displeased look. I sauntered towards them, holding the tears back in my throat. I wished that Genevieve would tell him to stop calling me these names. It wouldn't hurt to stop touching her and flirting. This was a finicky relationship as it is... I didn't need another man taking love shots at her. She was mine.

We went through the same door that he did when the game was being played. It had a large, deep colored, wood desk with a lamp and a few papers on it. A very large chair sat behind the desk, while three small, incompetent chairs sat in front of it. Da Haunt grabbed one of the three smaller chairs and switched it with a bright purple, more comfortable one. Genevieve got the hint and sat in the purple one. I sat in the plain wooden chair beside it. Who the third chair was for, was unknown.

Da Haunt walked around the desk and sat in the large black chair behind the desk. He leaned towards us and folded his hands on the desk. "So, what can I do for you?"

"We need one passport and a collection of visa. For my man. I have my own..." Genevieve leaned towards him too.

"And what be his name, anyway? I kind of need that..." He looked at me.

She cleared her throat. "Erm..."

"What's the problem, eh? He illegal? Because that is fine... I really don't care. I just want to help you in any way possible." He lied through his teeth. And he knew it. His high-pitched man voice just wanted our money. But hey... I would give him a million francs to have Diana back. He had grabbed a pen and was writing something down on a slip of paper.

"No... he isn't illegal... but-"

"My name is Erik De Graff" I finally said. Why was she hesitating?

He stopped scribbling. Her stopped moving. "What... what did you just say?" his high-pitched voice became a little deeper, and less obnoxiously loud.

"Erik De Graff. E-r-i-k space D-e space G-r-a-f-f."

He slowly wrote the letters as I spoke them. He shook his head then his head tilted towards me. "Born in Holland?"

"That is correct... hoe did you know that?"

"To Adrian and Erik De Graff?"

"I never knew their names."

"You're the Devil's Child aren't you?" he stood up.

"How the hell-"

"You have a twin brother who died! Your face is disfigured, so you wear that bag, eh?"

"How did you know all of that?"

Silence. He had walked over to me and sat in the third chair next to me.

Then he grabbed my mask. I grabbed it defensively, out of habit. "Show... me your face!" We pulled on it, both standing now to get what we want.

_RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIPPPPPP! _

We stood in silence, my hand slapped over my face. It was coppery with blood, for the bag scraped my hands and burned my calluses.

I looked at him, some of my spare hair strands falling in my eyes. I blinked to fight the annoyance. There was that extra vigor and venom in my eyes that only I could make. I made my breathing heavy and he did the same. I could not see his eyes... but my eyes were the only ones that he could see.

I suddenly threw my arm from my side to the top of his head. This forced the hat's lid to tip up. He gasped and quickly drew it down. I took my free hand and did the same thing. He did the same thing. Then I tackled him. What was I supposed to do? He wanted to see my face, and I wanted to see his. And I was angry. Why was he so nosy all of a sudden? Mr. Brave?

His back hit the wall, forcing a few books from a bookcase to fall.

He growled and came after me. He grabbed my arm and forced it down. I kept it up, and growled.

I grabbed his hat lid, but his free hand was on top of it. I lifted it, but his arm was great resistance.

Then my arm gave out.

So did his.

The sudden give-out forced us both to fall backward. My back hit the ground, and I don't know what Da Haunt did.

I sat up.

So did he.

In unison.

And two screams filled the room.

**TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE FOR ALL MY FANS! TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE FOR ALL MY **

**TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE FOR ALL MY FANS! TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE FOR ALL MY**

"Oh... oh my God! What the- Oh my God!" I pointed my index finger at him.

"I- I don't know... either! You- you- AAAAAAHHHH!!!" he stumbled up, the pointless tie now flipped behind his shoulder. He fell onto the wall, but his one arm caught him.

"HAUNT... ER- PH- WHAT THE FLIPPERS DO I CALL YOU?"

"I DON'T KNOW!! WHO IS THAT?! WHO AM I?"

"Who am I?!"

"WE ARE ALL NO ONE!"

"I CAN BELIEVE THAT! JUST... JUST LOOK AT YOU!" He screamed.

"Look at you! Oh my... Jeez..."

"This is... incredible."

"PHT!" I scoffed, "look at us! Oh my God!"

"Okay... chill out..." he calmed himself and lifted himself off the wall to approach me, "this... we just need to... talk, I guess? Over some scotch, maybe?"

"TALK? WHAT DO YOU- wait... that... that sure does... sound like a rational thing to do. But please... can we talk sober? Getting drunk isn't exactly my cup of tea, you know what I mean?"

"Alright... alright... but can I drink?"

"One cup of whatever you want."

"Fine."

"Wow... you two are very good at calming down when you find out something that could change your entire lives.... Genevieve stood behind me and rubbed my shoulders. Then my neck.

I would have closed my eyes if I wasn't so shocked at the sight.

"Come on... let's not do it here... too many idiots..." He said. His voice was deeper. Like molasses. It was like he was talking in a fake voice before.

"And where do you presume we go?"

"Well... I would invite you over to my house... but this _is _my house..."

"You live in this casino?"

"Live and run it."

"Hm... we will talk about that over our talk... follow me. And hurry so that no one will see your face."

And I grabbed Genevieve. I heard her gasp and giggle as I held her angel style, her legs hanging over my arms. I ran out of the room, Haunt opening the door.

And he kept up. I ran past the massive five O'clock Paris crowds. Genevieve had hidden my face with her hand, but allowed me to see.

I kicked open the door that led to my lair. I fell in, Genevieve screaming and releasing her hiding hand. I heard Haunt's feet tap behind mine as he landed.

"Whoa..." he looked around my dark home, lit by candles I had lit after I set Genevieve down, "Nice underground hideout, man!"

"Yeah..." I stepped onto the ledge that led to my giant organ, "hideout..."

"How does this place hold up? Are there any support beams anywhere? What about the weight of the opera house? What-" Genevieve ran her fingers through the water at her feet, and swirled her thumb against her ring and index finger. She continued to ask countless questions. She was inspecting my lake. She would be the one to measure the square footage of my lair. She would be the one to inspect _every little thing. _E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

I rushed into my tailoring room and grabbed a gold-cushioned chair. I grabbed another and held it with my left arm, while my right arm held the first chair. I would stand.

I heard a random note play from my organ as I kicked open the door. More like pushed with my foot.

Another random key pressed. I saw Genevieve sitting on the black bench in front of the organ, while Da Haunt stood, leaning on the massive pipes.

I put down the chairs behind them. They stared as I approached and Da Haunt sat in the chair closest to him. His arm hung over the back, and his leg stretched out. Genevieve stood and gingerly sat down in the other chair. She sat erect, beautiful and stunning, her hands folded in her lap.

I sat on the organ's bench. A piece of handwritten music was placed on the stand attached to the organ, above the keys.

"Okay..." I leaned my forearms on my thighs, "before we talk... let me try something... stand up, Haunt."

And he did. I followed and stepped slowly over to him. I hinted to him to turn sideways like me. I placed my hand on the side of his face that was away from me.

"Hey, man," he stood still like I told him, but looked awkward, "I don't know you like that."

"Shhh..." I stepped closer to him, "close your eye that is closest to me." And he did as he was instructed. I closed the eye that was closed to the eye that was closed on his face.

I pushed is head towards mine slowly. Eventually, after I told him to close his agate mouth, his face touched mine.

And our faces fit together like a puzzle piece.


	12. The Last Step

"What is your name, Haunt?" I sipped from a cup of cold water. It felt good to fall down my throat... to calm my burning esophagus. I learned that that was another name for neck or throat. From that big biology book. I liked the human body.

"Well, I can tell you one thing. I ain't Da Haunt, "he mimicked my movements with a sip of scotch. I liked the bottles that liquor was in... so I usually kept a bottle or two around, "but what it is... is Erole De Graff."

"Erole... interesting..." I set the glass of water and ice down on the top of the table in which we decided to move to. Genevieve thought it was appropriate to talk over dinner. But since I didn't eat, Genevieve had eaten before we went, and Erole was used to not eating, only drinking, for a few hours, we didn't eat. Only sat at the dinner table, I at the end, Erole next to me on the side, and Genevieve on the other side.

"Very rare and fascinating name..." Genevieve tilted her head at him, "but I can guess that you are a very rare and fascinating person... considering that... you are Erik's twin bother."

Genevieve had changed into her normal attire. Thank God. Erole had looked surprised to find out that she was not a flirtatious, made upped, hussy. He actually admired the fact that she was one of the smartest people on the face of this Earth.

He chuckled. He smiled more than me, joked more than me, and acted more happy-go-lucky than me. But he looked like me. His hair was longer, but that was because I trimmed my hair, as stupid as that sounds. He had enough hair to put in a little ponytail of sorts. Raoul-length hair. His voice was now as deep as mine. He told me that since 'the ladies digged' high-pitched guys, he talked in a false voice. It also got people off his case when they questioned who he was under his hat. He lived an entirely other life than me... yet was so much like me.

"So you're... the... Phantom Of The Opera...?" his eyebrows -eyebrow- pulled together.

"Yes. That is my title, while yours is Da Haunt. Ironic... Opera Ghost... Da Haunt..." we both smiled, "so, are you into music or anything music-like?"

"The only music I like is the music that plays in the background at my casino."

"Yours?"

"Yes... I own the Venetian Casino."

"Hm. I like the name..." Genevieve intruded.

"Creative," I wanted to know more about his life before gambling, "so, what happened before all of this casino stuff?"

"Well..." he hesitated, "where do you want to start?"

"What did anyone tell you what happened to me?"

"Ma told me that you died... heart failure."

"Me too... then... how did your childhood go?"

He smiled nervously, "I'm afraid... you would be angry with me if I told you."

"Look. I... I am so curious, scared, fascinated, and amazed that anger would not even pass my mind. Just tell me your childhood until the age of... sixteen."

He rolled his eyes and sipped more gold liquid from his small glass, "Fine. But no killing is allowed. Ever since the age of seven, I... I lived the horrible life, okay? I wore tattered clothes and lived in a tiny house. I... I lived with Ma and Pa. You're Ma and Pa. They... left you, but kept me. Anyway... after the age of seven, Ma and Pa spent some of their spare money on a lottery ticket. We sneaked into a kitchen from the back door, just to steal a newspaper. Ma freaked out when she found... the numbers to the lottery..."

"Were their numbers..." I stared at the wall, not the speaker. This was... I didn't know what I was feeling.

"Yes... and then... rich. Money. Food. A huge house. Fine clothes. We lived the wonder life that every child dreams of. At age fourteen, I was sent to boarding school for an amazing education. Ma and Pa wrote and called... and I loved them so much. I was sent home at age sixteen... and that is where you wanted me to stop."

I stared at him. "So... that is why you life gambling... your entire life's fortune has evolved around gambling and luck..."

"I guess..."

"Very good, Erik," Genevieve smiled at me, "you should be a psychologist."

I breathed through my nose in a quick breath. I would have payed more attention to her, but I was mesmerized... and... I guess Erole was right. I was angry. Not violently angry... but aggravated. Why did my mother keep one, but not the other. Why did he live the wonderful, lavish life, while I was beaten? For the same reasons in which he had. He could have my life. He could have stayed, and helped me through my miserable life. At least he only had to deal with poverty for seven years. I have had to deal with, not poverty, but pain, for twenty two years. I could not feel sympathy for him now. He had felt the good life. He probably still does.

"What about you?" he interrupted my thoughts, "what had your life been for sixteen years? How was the family that adopted you?"

I sighed and didn't smile like he did, "The family that adopted me were named the Frols. They were... adequate at first. They had money, but not rich. Nice, but not too nice. Until the age of four, they treated me fine... then they passed me off to the circus at age five. I was known as... 'The Devil's Child'. I was showed off... as an act, a fool, a demon. Beaten, whipped, embarrassed... all for show. I survived this until the age of eighteen... but you asked me to stop at sixteen."

"No..." he leaned on the table, "you can keep going. How did you become the famous Opera Ghost?"

I blinked at his curious face. "Well... at age eighteen a ballet school took a school field trip to the circus. Meghan Giry was one of the dancers. Long story short, she broke me out. She took me under the opera house and I have lived under here ever since. I found my first thread, needle and fabric... then made my first real piece of clothing, other than a mask. At age twenty... Christine came into the picture... long story short again, I loved her, she loved someone else, she went with someone else. I have lived here ever since. Meghan Giry ended up having a daughter... Meghan Giry Jr."

"Wow, man... I'm sorry..." he looked at me with pity.

"The irony is that... if I hadn't been thrown away... then I would not be living like I am today..." I chuckled as he sat awkwardly.

"You are a junior too..." he eventually relaxed, and looked at me from his gaze at Genevieve, "Pa's name is Erik, too."

"Really? And what did you say my mother's name was?"

I had not known my parents names, obviously. I had never even seen them long enough to remember anything. It was interesting to know that they named me after my father. Maybe they did care for me... they didn't just randomly name me some stupid, boring name.

"And... if you came back... they wouldn't turn you down. My mother... is used to disfigured men. Pa is... well... worse than us."

"He was disfigured too?" I stared at him. Genevieve gasped as she had been taking notes. I was another experiment... wonderful.

"Not from birth... but in a fire. He was injured when his house burned down... he actually met Ma at the hospital. She was a nurse... still in college. After a few months... they fell in love and married."

"His entire body, then?" I stood up and walked around Erole to the cabinet of liquor.

Okay... I lied. I kept _way _more than two bottles. I never drank it... ever. As much as I hated myself, I always believed that getting drunk would never solve your problems. It just kills brain cells.

In this case... I just wanted to be like Erole. I grabbed a small glass, put a few ice cubes in it, and put half scotch, half milk inside.

Erole was such a nice name. It was unique. It was creative. Much more thought was put into that name. Mine was copied from my father. That horrible man. He gave me his name... and still passed me off to the other family.

Erole waited had not waited for me to return, for I was only a few feet away. "No... just his face. His body healed completely, with no scars, either! Amazing... his face suffered four-degree burns, yet his body only one degree burns..."

"God... sometimes I wish that I could see them to..." I thought for a minute and smiled, "to just yell at them. No physical contact... just... yell and blame and scream. Scream at the top of my lungs how much they ruined my life..."

"Well," Erole drummed his fingers on the wooden table, "I'm afraid that you don't exactly know the entire story..."

I sat down once more. "And what exactly is the real story?"

"They kept me... out of a game of heads-or-tails. They literally flipped a coin. Ma was... fifteen when she had us. Pa was seventeen. They had no money... or a home. They had also been seeing each other for four years, married, at least. Scared. Only one of us could be kept... and they kept me."

W-what? Oh my... oh my God... "Is that true...?"

"Yes. Completely..." Erole took a large sip from his glass. The liquid was almost gone.

Oh my God! This was... this was a revelation! All of my hatred dissipated, all of my regret filled in for it. This was one of the most important discussions of my life... if he wasn't lying.

"Erik?" Genevieve waved her hand in front of my zoned out face.

These feelings... of... I don't know. This feeling could be classified as... sheer shock! I was... stunned! I couldn't help but imagine my life if I was heads and he was tails, if heads had won. Would I be the casino owner... or just a rich, happy man.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)))))))))))))))))&(((((((((((((((*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He had to take my picture, with my mask off of course, to put on the passport.

"So," Erole had taken a little tour of my lair with Genevieve and was now retuning to me, "where are you going with a passport and a few visa."

"To America," I smiled, "I am going to pick up my adopted daughter, Diana."

He smiled and nudged me with his elbow, "you adopted a child in America?"

And I sat him down and explained. It was spontaneous and long, but I felt that I needed everyone, including Genvieve who sat nearby.

They all gave their comments and Genevieve speculated everything.

I was tired again. But... my music was being neglected. I had not written the rest of that opera for my spectators who thought that I was dead. The new owners told that I was killed during the renovation.

Ugh... so much happened today though. I just wanted to sleep... with no nightmares. I wanted to have a dream where I was the rich business man... with parents who stayed with me.

I dressed in my evening clothes and removed my mask that was now on.

I had asked Erole if he wanted to sleep here for the night. He accepted. I also asked Genevieve, and she happily accepted. I guided her towards the peacock bed in which Christine had slept. She evaluated all of the metals, the blankets... she was so curious. Smart. Of course I had left her alone to change into her evening clothes.

Erole had not brought any clothes with him, and he refused any clothes from me. I showed him to my bedroom, and he hopped in, wearing the clothes that he had worn all day. I rolled my eyes.

I sat in my chair and let my neck fall over the back. I slept here before... I would live.

As my eyes closed I heard a hand on my face.

"Erik," Genevieve's sweet, quiet voice rang through the dark, "what are you doing in here?"

I groaned, "trying to sleep..."

"In this chair?"

"Yes... Erole is occupying my bed... and I won't slumber with him... that would be awkward."

"What about..." she walked in front of the chair now, my head following her, "spending the night with me?"

"No..." my eyes flipped open, "that would be more awkward that Erole... you are my partner."

"Exactly. You should feel comfortable with me..." I felt her presence in front of me.

I didn't know what to say. I loved her... but... not like that yet. Christine was different because she was my first love. I learned to be more careful... like I was now.

"Genevieve..." she pulled on my arm and I smiled. I pretended that she had pulled me up and she wrapped her arms around my waist. Her head rested against my chest. I put my head on her hair. Her soft, beautiful blonde hair.

We swayed back and fourth slowly and my eyes closed again. Her arms moved up and down my back. Her hands reached my neck and pulled the wig that I had slipped on again. Her fingers stroked my hair again.

My fingers made little circles in her hair. She still wore it down.

After a few minutes of connection... she broke from me. She held my hand and, because I was half-dazed, led me out of the room.

Realizing what she was doing, I pulled my arm away from her hand. She looked back at me with a disdainful look. "Erik..."

"Genevieve... please..."

She stepped closer to me and put her palm on my chest. "What makes you hesitate? Do you not love me?"

"No.. no-no-no-no... I love you so much... don't you ever doubt that..." and that was as true as black was black and white was white, "I... I just don't feel comfortable with... someone else in my bed unless we are married. And... we have a lot more things to do before we marry."

I expected her to be upset. To cry or feel as if she did something wrong. I felt that I would need to tell her that she did nothing wrong... it was me. And I would be telling the complete truth.

But she did nothing but smile. It was not a sad smile or an apathetic one. But a genuine smile that made me feel warm and relieved.

"That is smart..." she wrapped her left arm around my neck, "I am sorry for this. I only wanted to make you feel more comfortable..."

She approached me, and both of our eyes closed. Our lips touched once more. My hand found it's way to the small of her back. She was wearing silk. My other hand ran my hand through her hair.

Her hands wrapped around my neck.

We separated for a millisecond, then joined once more. She made me melt. She made my heart flow past my rib cage, and into a pit inside my stomach.

There was a crash. Loud and echoing. We broke apart suddenly, realizing that the lights had been flipped on.

"Did you turn those on?" she whispered, still close to my face.

"No. Did you?" I stared at her with wide eyes.

We both turned our heads towards the large gate that led to my lair.

"Well..." the fat, dirty man smiled, "look who get themselves a woman!"

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

"Well, hello there, Genevieve," she had given me permission to tell Benny her name, "what a sweet name for such a sweet girl," he kissed her hand.

"Hello, Bram," she smiled at him warmly, "how are you this late at night?"

"Oh... well I be here to... check up on Shadow... I also dropped me books when I flipped that light on..." he looked at me, then towards the two books on the ground.

"Shadow...?" she looked around. I held her chin and guided her face towards me, "Oh...."

"His full name be 'Dutch Shadow' to me. Because he is... Dutch... and he is like a shadow. Always following you everywhere once he gets attached to ya," Benny smiled, "I guess you would know that now, eh?"

She blushed. Her eyes trailed around the room.

"What are you reading, Bram?" I made my way towards the fallen books.

"Eh, just some books for ya. I thought that you might want 'em."

I picked them up. One was 'Dark Angels'. I would ask. The other was 'Popcorn'. I would really ask.

"The angel one is about some dude who lives for one thousand years... then on his last week, after living a life of nothing, he finds a lover. Pretty stupid ending if you ask me..." Erole leaned in the doorway to my bedroom, "the other is about an ugly kid who really doesn't fit in, then he fits in, then all of his good friends hate him. Good ending, if you ask me."

"I'm so sorry Erole... did we wake you?" Genevieve walked over to him.

"Oh my- What the- oh..." Benny turned from me, to Erole, to a finger pointed at me, to a finger pointed at him, more head turns, more points, "what the... you gots a clone?"

"Bram... this is... my brother, Erole De Graff. Erole, this is Bram, or Benny" I guided him towards Erole to shake his hand.

"Hey, man, what's shakin'?" He smiled a wide, white smile.

Bram still looked dumbfounded. "Aren't you dead?" he still held his hand.

Erole laughed. "I thought Erik was dead! What has this world come to?!" He joked. He was good. He knew where to put things... I didn't.

"Shadow..." he hurried towards me, "what have you been doing in your spare time? Going to casinos and picking up ladies? That be the man who owns-"

"The Venetian. Yes..." he smiled wider.

"And Genevieve is one of the smartest people in the world. She has a Post Doctorate in Psychology."

"A woman in college! Impressive... more women should be in college you know? We need more smart girlies!"

"Thank you, Bram!" Genevieve hugged him from behind. He blushed and smiled like a fool. I laughed at his reaction.

"She be a fox, too..." he giggled more. She departed from his body and he stood straight.

"I don't get that too much... thank you" she smiled again, "I like him."

"I like him too..." my eyebrows pinched together with a smile.

"I guess I am used to seeing beyond any face. Ugly or pretty... I see the soul," he pounded his fist against his heart, "and that be how I see Erik... now... Erole? That yer name?"

He nodded.

"And now you, my dear."

She laughed. She was flattered. I wondered if she was just faking... or if it was really flattery.

I explained everything in depth to Benny over water. He was intrigued... before he left. I don't feel like recalling it... for you have followed me through this little adventure, now haven't you.

That reminds me. I wanted to thank you for staying by me. Even if you did nothing... some of you reading my quotes out loud... others using those weird machines to send messages to me. Hm... odd how this little tale is intriguing to you. It is quite fascinating to me also... do not feel guilty for finding pleasure out of my pain. I kill people. I would know. Not that I am comparing you to a murderer... but... oh God I can't commuicate.

Oh, well... I guess that you are wondering what happened after Benny left, Erole passed out in mine/his bed, and Genevieve wanted to stay up with me.

My drowsiness had worn off. I guess Bram's excitement had excited me too. Genevieve was tired, I could tell, but she still insisted on wanting to be with me. And if I would not spend the night with her, she would spend the night with me.

We sat in the peacock bedroom. I sat in an iron chair that rocked on it's long legs. I smiled and shook my head when she sat in my lap, angel style. Her arm wrapped around my neck and my arm supported her back as her head leaned against my chest. She said she was comfortable with her legs hanging over the arm of the chair... but how could this position be comfortable?

I felt her hot breaths on my chest. This was the same shirt that I wore when I had threatened to kill Raoul. It was nearly unbuttoned, and her head leaned on my bare chest. I felt her soft, long hair against my skin.

Her eyes were closed, as were mine. Her eyelashes blinked and tickled my nerves. The blinks got longer... and shorter... and one last one before... none.

She breathed heavier and her arm became weak. She began to slip, and I grabbed her more firmly. When her head slumped over my arm, I stood up and held her so that she was securely in my arms, not hanging over anything. I walked slowly, watching her as her eyelids slowly twitched and her hair hung down my arm. I let her hair hang because I liked the tickle that it gave my bare arm. I rolled up the sleeves.

I laid her down on the peacock bed. I stared at the tan, slightly shiny, silk nightgown she wore. Her head had turned and I adjusted it so that it was erect. She would get a kink in her neck is she slept like that.

It tilted again, her mouth hanging agate slightly.

I adjusted it again, smiling now as the only sound in the room was our breathing.

This time it stayed.

She looked so peaceful. So serene. I wondered if I looked like this when I slept without nightmares. She made me gaze. Made me feel the tingle on my lips when she kissed me.

What would she do if...

I scooped her up again and moved her over to the right side of the bed.

I slid in on the right. Her head tilted away from me, and I corrected it again. This time, I fluffed the pillow around her so that her head stayed in place.

It was awkward at first, a woman at my side. I stared at her, ignoring my own moves, for my neck was bent, but my body was straight. Stiff and straight.

She was a beauty. I found my naked hand fixing her face once more, only turning her face towards me. My eyes were soft, and I felt it. They were as soft as my heart was at this moment. My teeth were shut, but my lips were open loosely.

My hand caressed her face.

_"My dreams don't become true,_

_All by themselves..._

_You create them to make me love you..._

_My heart sings to thou..._

_Not my lips nor throat..._

_Your face sends merely love, _

_And comfort,_

_Down into my,_

_Stone, cold heart..."_

I sang quietly to her as her eyebrows lifted and lowered slightly.

_"To a warm,_

_subtle reservoir,_

_In which has been hiding,_

_For ages and years,_

_My life has waited for it's release,_

_And you will break the hold,_

_And my love will flow to you..._

_Just accept this..._

_Accept my love..._

_Fear can turn to love..._

_You will see if you open,_

_Your beautiful, blue eyes,_

_And see beyond the face..._

_For I can see past yours..."_

I moved onto my side and scooted closer to her. My lips almost touched her jaw line. Just below her ear... and she twitched as my fingertips gently forced goosebumps upon her skin at the collarbone.

_"And I love you....."_

I sung quietly to let her sleep. I just... wanted to think that she could hear me in her dreams. I hoped that she had sweet dreams. No fright should cross her mind.

I felt her arm move to my back. Had I woken her?

_"I can... and you know, my best friend..._

_you know that I can love you..._

_And... I... do..."_

Her voice was soft... yet... amazing. It was capturing. Christine had an amazing voice, almost like Genevieve's... but Christine had lessons. My lessons. My tutoring. Genevieve had only... nothing. She had never even heard my singing until now... as I sung to her in this bed.

My breathing was heavy and I knew it. I slowly began to let my thoughts dissipate. My dreams capture reality. No one has ever really done this except Christine... but... Genevieve was impressive because she had no prior attention. At least not from me.

She sang some more of her love for me. I listened to her high, sweet voice hit every note spot on. It was hard to sing lying down, especially when you are half asleep. As our song neared it's end... the last note we sang together...

Perfection. Bliss. Eternal completion. Ever since Christine... my heart had been empty. I had never felt compelled to do anything... not until now. I wanted to hear her voice all night. All night would not be enough to fill my heart. She would love and sing for me forever... and the first song that I could sing with her as a real duet... my heart would pump love, not blood, once more. It would thrust beloved passion through my veins.. to my eyes and ears... and allow me to see and hear her beauty.

Her arm had remained on my back as I lay on my stomach. My arm draped over her chest, then bends to feel her neck. My pinky finger touched just an inch below the hollow of her neck. My thumb felt the middle of her neck , on the side. I let my lips touch her earlobe now, breathing heavily through my nose. My breathing soon calmed... my eyes fell to a heavy, yet light at the same time, darkness. My senses abandoned me as my dreams took their place. My happy dreams. My wishes of my future with Genevieve. My ambitions to marry her... to spend eternity with her.

And that was the last step. The last step to getting over my previous love. Now she was just a previous. Not anything more. She could have Raoul up in heaven. But I was down on Earth. I was on this planet with a woman that I loved. And she would not stop me. Raoul would not stop me. They would not haunt my mind anymore. My heart was given to someone else. I held hers, and she held mine. And she would keep mine. She would not throw it away and break it because she was scared. She would not be scared. I could let down my boundary of my heart that is called Christine. I could let my love flow into the heart of Genevieve. She would keep it close... she would never stop. I did not need to be careful anymore... I could go and let her see me. Unrestrained. But restrained enough to not kill someone. She wanted to love me. I wanted to love her. I wanted to just... stay here the rest of my life. Right here with Genevieve. She would teach me of life and teach me of reality. I would teach her of music and teach her of composition. We would teach and love and care and talk for eternity. No hesitation. No worries. Just us.

And that was what I dreamed of.


	13. Phantom Phillin

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**I just want to clarify that I changed the year of when these events are happening. This is not the 1800s. I am sorry... but I could not stay historically accurate. And instead of changing e n my story... why not just change the year?**

**PREVIOUS YEAR IN WHICH CHRISTINE LEFT ERIK: 1871**

**NEW YEAR IN WHICH CHRISTINE LEFT ERIK: 1929**

**NEW YEAR: 1930**

**I know that there really weren't any Paris Opera houses in the thirties... but this is fiction, no? Lets make it up! YAY! FALSE INFORMATION!**

**I know... quite a jump... but America wasn't around like I want it to be, technology wise, in 1871. Maybe it was... but I need airplanes and electricity. So... if you have that big of a problem with it... I can always change it back.**

**ANOTHER AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**I have had a lot of questions on how to pronounce the names... so:**

**Erole= E-Role= E-Roll/// Any way that you can see that it is pronounced like a role that you get in a play, a roll you have for dinner, or you roll down the hill... with an E before it. **

**Genevieve= Jen-a-veev///**

**Erik= pronounced like it is spelled, with a short 'E' and a short 'I'**

**Bram= Pronounced as spelled, with a short 'A'.**

**Gabby= Gab-i/// both short vowels.**

**Diana= Die-ana**

**Herold= Hair-old**

**Geraldine= Jer-old-een**

**(Herold and Geraldine will come up eventually) **

**^^ HAPPY READING! Thanks for all of the great reviews! But I could always use more! *hint hint***

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"Erik..."

I breathed as I was shaken softly.

"Snicker doodles..."

Another voice? A male's voice. It was pretending to be a woman with exaggerated 'S' sounds and just a general high pitched sounding voice.

Then I groaned as I was shaken violently. I was lifted from my bed, hearing giggles in the background. I flipped my eyes open as I was hauled over someone's shoulder.

"Wake up!" the man yelled. It sounded like... me, "grab a brush put on a little makeup!"

"What?" my voice sounded weak and tired.

"Put him down, Erole. He is awake now..." the man set me down, not so gently, "good... job..." the real woman voice was sarcastic.

"No problem MD. T" I could hear a smile in Erole's voice.

"I won't sleep in the same bed with you..." another voice said.

I stood, legs shaky, as Genevieve held me up. Oooohhh... I was half-dead.

"How are you feeling, Honey?" she gingerly spoke into my ear.

"Yeah, Beautiful..." another set of womanly arms crossed me, "sorry to say this... but I don't need to constantly flirt with you anymore..."

I smiled as I gained composure. "Why the big change, Gabby?"

She giggled. "Because there's two of you!"

"And the other one is way hotter than you..." Erole sounded confident.

"We look the same..." I could see him now.

"Well... I sound sexier than you."

"We sound the same."

"I... I am funnier than you..."

"You got me..." I could see perfectly now. Genevieve wore the same tan nightgown. Gabby wore a black, short nightgown. It was made of some sort of cotton... I couldn't tell. It was lined with yellow lining.

"HA!"

"Actually..." I stood up straight and the girls dropped their arms, "you have more social life than me... more charisma... so everything in that aspect, you beat me at..." I stepped towards him and smiled.

"Yeah... but you're smarter. So everything with smarts you and Genevieve win at. You also can write that boring... slow music stuff..."

"Boring," I smiled wider, "slow? Have you even ever been to an opera?"

"Nah..." he rolled his eyes, "I was too busy having fun and making money..."

"I have over seventy thousand francs from writing boring slow stuff in my little savings book, alright?"

"Seventy..." he stared, "thousand? I make that in a day..." he put his hands on his hips.

"I make one hundred francs a day... from the best sponges in the world. Frightened, greedy, opera managers who want the best operas, and would give anything to have them."

"Yeah? I have rich, drunk people... who are dazed with my card skills handing money over to me just because they can..."

"So we both mooch money off of idiots for a living."

"Pretty much..."

"We are so sorry for waking you..." Genevieve stood between us to get my attention, "but we have something for you..."

"And we will give it to you only if you take off that shirt..." I stared at Gabby who stared at me admiringly.

"Shut up, Gabby... go flirt with Haunt..." Genevieve was aggravated.

"He's a little busy with..." she looked at him, "your surprise!"

Erole smiled and held up several pieces of paper. Gabby and Genevieve smiled, and I did too.

"My papers!" I took them when Erole offered them to me. "When did you get them?"

"When you were having sweet dreams with the living sweet dream..." he ticked the side of his mouth and winked at Genevieve. She still looked at the papers with me.

"We can go get her any time you want... we bought normal clothes... and if you don't wear your mask... no one at the transportation unit will care about your face. If you wear your wig... they will only ask you to remove it. No one will-" Genevieve gently rubbed my shoulder as she stared at the passport and visa with me.

"I don't care... I just want to go. We can go now? Like, right now?" I looked at the smiling Erole. I looked at the happy Gabby. Genevieve looked... happy and... proud. Why did she give me a mixture of joy and that look that parents give their children after they had scored a soccer goal or something.

"Well... you can't go. We won't let you..." Erole smiled.

I stared. What did they mean? What...? "WHAT?"

"We will only let you go if Erole and I go with..." Genevieve moved her arm and wrapped it around my back. Just below my shoulder blades.

"Are you kidding? A casino dealer and a doctor? What good could you do to stop me from going?"

"I can always... you know... cancel the passport and out ate the visa..." Erole smiled.

"Why do you even want to go, Erole?"

"I want to see this Diana... apparently she makes you really happy, and she is in America. Plus, I figured that since I forgot to call Ma and Pa this week... that I could just go visit."

"What are you talking about?"

He stared at me. "Didn't I tell you?"

"Tell me what?" What... was... he getting at...?

"I didn't exactly loose my particular connections with Ma and Pa... they live in Colorado... somewhere. I can't remember the address right now... but if I was there I could guide you."

What? They were still alive? Still here? "What did you just... WHAT? They aren't dead?!"

"No! I never said that!"

"You never said they were alive, either!"

"Well use some common sense!"

"What?"

"MEN!" Gabby shouted. We all turned and stared at her. She smiled and gave a little wave. "Hi..." and she ran out of the room. Was she embarrassed?

"Look... I did allow Genevieve to come with..." I sighed,

"Oh, Erik!" she ran up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. What was she... a fortune teller? I put my palm on the small of her back. Then I grabbed the cloth below my hand and pulled. She separated from me and stared at me with confused, sad, wide eyes. Her eyebrows knit together.

"But with Erole... I must refuse..."

His arms extended outward. "What did I do?"

"You did nothing," my gaze traveled over to him, "in fact, because you did nothing and I have only known you for a day... I refuse to allow you to go. I do not know you well. You could be a murderer... who knows?"

"You are a murderer, dip" his arms fell.

"Yes... but I only kill those who mock me... the idiots who seem to know nothing, but they think they know everything."

"Well... I'm your brother! Think of it... sitting on a plane... first class... going to get your daughter-"

"She is not my daughter... I am merely her guardian..."

"Oh well. We could connect. You could know everything about me... and I could know everything about you! I could get to know Genevieve..."

"If I wanted to bring someone close to me... I would bring Bram. He was been with me since the beginning..."

"I have something that no one else that you know has..." He smiled.

"And what is that?" I stepped closer to him.

"Connection with Ma and Pa. You want to see them, right? Well... if you let me come... I will guide you to them. And I won't tell you now. You have been with me a day, you should know how stubborn I am by now..." he flicked me again. He had explained that at his casino... instead of punching or slapping, they flick. After several lawsuits, he forbid the act of hitting, except for flicking.

That little... conniver. "Damn you!" I yelled. Not angrily, but aggravatingly. "You little lying Delilah!" I turned to Genevieve who cowered at the sound of my sudden voice. I turned back to Erole. "You little viper! CURSE YOU! You fool me again, people! Are you never satisfied! Will you ever be proud to say that you defeated me once? Must you do it repeatedly?"

Silence. Genevieve let a tear fall from her left eye.

"I- we're sor-sor-" she tried to speak.

NO! No! No... please do not cry... please... I took wide strides to get to her side. I let her fall in my arms. More tears fell. But not hers... mine. I didn't want her to cry. I didn't want her to see the ugly gargoyle that burned in hell... Her head rested on my chest.

"Please... I'm sorry... don't cry. I didn't mean to... scare you..." I picked her up and held her angel style again. She let out a yelp of... excitement? Yes... because she laughed after words. Then she moved her head so that she could see my crying face. I was ashamed to cry in front of her... but I was just so... scared. Scared that I had dented our relationship. I needed to be careful and treat her with respect. There was no hesitation, but every relationship must care for the other. I was no exception...

"You did not scare me, Erik..." she near whispered and began to play with the black cloak that fell in front of me now. It draped over my body, and part of hers. "I scared myself. I was so ashamed that I have been using your weakness and sensitivity to hurt you. I hurt you... we hurt you..." she gazed over at Erole, who also looked guilty.

"And we are sorry, man..." Erole made his lips into a thin line.

"And if every time that I cry, you scoop me up off my feet," she wrapped her free arms around m neck, "then I should cry more often."

"No," I smiled, knowing what she meant, "don't cry anymore... you both can go. I would like people there if... this doesn't work out... and I would like to see my parents. I want to see what they came out to be. Erole... say nothing. I want a surprise..."

"Can do, dude."

I set Genevieve down. She smiled and Erole took the papers out once more.

"I-we- don't have to go unless you want us to..." Genevieve wrapped her arms around my neck from behind.

" You just got done telling me that you needed to come... no, say nothing, I get what you mean. No... I want you to. I want people around."

I wasn't exactly lying... but I wasn't telling the truth. I did want Genevieve there... but Erole, not so much. He wasn't the first person that I would ever choose to come with me.

But... I just wanted to leave. Please... it would be easy, no? Erole would know... and Genevieve had done this with Gabby...

"Dude..." Erole walked up to me, his lips pursed as his eyes scanned the room, "you better not hold me against this..."

And he... hugged me. In a tight, quick hug. His arms barely wrapped around my stunned body before he broke off.

Genevieve 'Aww'd and and Erole glared at her. "You shut up, Ms. Know-it-all..."

I looked at him with a particular softness in my eyes. I had not forced this upon myself. The look and feeling came by itself. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know..." he licked his lips and let his eyes wander again, "because... it's... sweet...?"

I smiled. Was this the... real Erole? "What do you mean?"

"How you're going after her and stuff..." he choked, "and how your letting me come- gah!"

He clung to me again. "D-D-Dude! That's so-s-so awesome!"

He was … crying. I looked at Genevieve... confusingly. She had her hands interlocked, and up to her face. Her right leg bent at the knee over her left leg. I blinked rapidly as I felt wetness soak through my shirt.

This was odd.

I put my left palm on his shoulder blade. I patted slowly a few times. "Er... ok-ay..."

He pulled from me, using my chest as a support beam to his left arm. "S-sorry man... it just... I lost a boy, alright? I- I know what it is like to loose that... certain bond that you have with a kid. That completion... and the emptiness that you feel when it leaves in a second..."

I stared at him and put my hand on his shoulder. This was... interesting. "You... you had a child...?"

"Well no... but I babysat a little boy... then my shift ended..." he shook his head, "but I still loved the little thing. I babysat him for three years... then he... well, it wasn't my shift that ended..."

"What do you mean?"

"He, er... when I was off duty... just an hour away from coming to him to guide him..." his chin became bumpy, and his lower lip raised, "and he... fell of the swing. Broke his neck. Passed. The parents were sent to jail for not watching their child properly. Stupid dips..."

"I'm sorry, Erole... I didn't know..." I dropped my hand from his shoulder.

"That's alright man..." his face turned back to normal, "so, when do you want to go? The passport needs to be renewed every month... so I would plan it within this month."

"Now," I smiled, eyes wide, "let's go now! How hard could it be?"

"Well... we have to get a plane ticket and everything..." Genevieve stepped in.

"Let's go get that now, then" I looked at her with a wide grin. I wondered when the last time I smiled in excitement was...

"How would we get there? The airport is twenty miles away..." she looked down, "and I already exchanged that old dumpy one. My horses are injured from that trip down south. The road was rough... and that man treated them so horribly..."

"We could use my ensemble of transportation..." Gabby had returned into the room. I had spotted her spying from behind the open door... but I had let it slip. I really didn't care.

"Or mine... but mine is in the shop. I have a car..." Erole smiled.

"That would cost too much money," Genevieve turned from Gabby, to Erole, "hay is much cheaper... gas has gone up thirty five cents... but horses require more breaks... either way is fine."

"Like I said..." Erole looked at his feet, "it's in the shop... totaled it at um... Make out cliff..." he cleared his throat. "I was-"  
"Don't care..." I interrupted him. I really didn't... he could do anything at Make out cliff. _Anything..._

"Gabby... that is very nice of you..." I looked at her, eyes half-staff, "I am guessing that you want to go with, huh?"

"Nah..." she rolled her eyes and did that 'hip-jut' thing again, "Been there, done that... gone to America to bust out relatives... America isn't that exciting."

Iwould not bring up the fact that I was going there for Diana. She knew... and if I brought it up.. then she may want to go with. I was already pushing it with Erole... I didn't need a hussy next to me in an airplane...

"I do not mean to be rude," Genvieve approached me once again, "but how much money are you planning on spending on airline tickets?"

"As much as it takes."

"That all depends on what you want to do. Do you want first class... meals...?"

"First class... and since it is a twenty two hour trip..." I sighed as did Gabby and everyone else, "I planned around your meal times. I don't really eat unless you force it down my throat..."

"You don't... eat? Are you... anorexic?" Erole squinted his eyes and curled his lip. He grabbed the small amount of fat on his stomach between his thumb and index finger.

"I'm not anorexic..." I smiled and gestured for him to but his grabbing hand down, "I am just used to not eating for days... or weeks... as a child, of course."

"Don't you feel hungry?"

"My body refuses the feeling of hunger."

"Interesting..." Genevieve said, putting her hand on my stomach, "you aren't extremely skinny..."

"I don't know why that is..." I flushed. I did. But I would not say... not until I knew her well enough to tell and show her my little... quirks...

Gabby laughed. Erole smiled. Genevieve looked confused. "What? What did he say...?"

Thank God she wasn't the one who caught on. Or... did she?

Erole began to laugh out loud. He sounded like me when I laughed hysterically. But... maybe he didn't. I didn't know what I sounded like when I laughed hysterically... for I have never laughed in such a way. At least, not for a long time.

"Stop! You're obviously embarrassing him...!" Genevieve's voice rang over the laughs.

How did she... ah. My face. Red and hot... but I could not help it. It was embarrassing to say what I did to actually keep myself looking... not sickly. I was sure no one had ever even thought of me doing such a stupid thing. It was a self confidence thing for me to do that. It... let testosterone flow, you know?

When the laughter died down... Gabby standing up from her crouch on her knees, Erole now just smiling... Genevieve did something that made me laugh. She slapped Gabby.

"Shut that annoying hole that you call a mouth, Gabrielle..." Genevieve turned vicious, daggers as eyes, "when I tell you to. You too, you stupid flirting, card-dealing drunk..."

"Hey... Hey... no need to be harsh, you know-it-all, ugly, scar face..." he mumbled back to her, not meeting her gaze.

"Erole..." I stared at him, "that was... appalling... you, more than others... should know how insulting that can be. Scar face... I should call you an ugly, deformed, retardando..."

"Yeah... well... you're a lonely, hideous, loser who lost his chick to a dude!" He yelled at me.

"Oh... oh my..." Gabby and Genevieve stared at me, then Erole, then me again. You could hear my breathing and my eyes killed Erole's confident stature.

"Oh really?" I bit my tongue on much... worse... things to say, "I will not stoop down to your level any further..."

"Because you already live in a pit deeper than Hell..." Erole turned.

I grabbed him by the tie and pulled him towards my face. He choked off the whistle that he started. There were a few gasps from the girls. He looked frightened... while I looked frightening.

"I know I do..." I smiled much like I did when I yelled at Christine to choose between Raoul and I, "but the thing is..." I threw him against the wall and held his head there, "I like it here now. I like having Christine gone..." I pulled his thin red-blonde hair and bent it towards my face at an uncomfortable angle while I bended his back backwards, "because now I can say that I didn't kill her," I slammed him on the floor. I felt a tear fall down my face. Not at Christine... but because I was doing this. I wanted to stop. He probably didn't mean anything... he works at a casino where people insult others as a joke. He screamed when I put my foot on him arm, keeping it on his back as he lied on his stomach. "You, on the other hand... I'm not quite so sure of..." I applied more pressure, now hearing a low grunt and maybe tears in his cries.

"Dude..." he struggled to speak, "stop..."

"Why? I might loose you to a girl..."

"So? That was a horrible place to put that..." he laughed a breathy laugh then screamed as I bent down, forcing more pressure on his painfully bent arm, and pulled his head back up with his hair.

"ERIK!" I felt pressure on my own chest. On my neck. Genevieve had wrapped her arms around my neck and was... attempting... to strangle me. Or pull me off. But she was small compared to me.

"The only way that you are staying on me is because you work out to keep you normal-looking!" Erole smiled and yelped when I bent his back farther.

"Yes..." I smiled menacingly again, "and the only reason that you are not getting up is because you don't!"

Genevieve was annoying. I dropped his hair, forcing his face to hit the floor. With my left arm I balanced my weight. With my right arm... I grabbed Genevieve's nightgown that rested on her back. I simply pulled her off, throwing her on the floor behind me. She didn't scream... but let a certain cry escape her throat. I didn't care. This idiot that I stepped on... was my focus.

"How did you even know about Christine and Raoul?" I lifted his face again, this time with his ear.

"Gen- Ah-h-h..." he cried, letting tears fall, "your babe!"

"You do not call her that!"

"Why not? You're the one throwing her on the floor!"

My emotion dropped. My fierceness died a fast, painful death. I realized... the old phantom was coming back. The one that wished to be there when Genevieve had bribed me. I realized... I hurt her. I did something that I wished I would never do. I was on top of my brother in which I blessed for returning to me. I made him cry. He cried out of pain, not because his hair was being pulled, but because our scalp was weak. You pulled our hair... it was like stabbing our heads. The nerves were more active or something...

I heard Genevieve cry. I let my lip quiver. My eyes welled with tears as I set his head down and stood up. I had taken off my cloak to fight. I grabbed it and whipped it on in a wave. My breathing was heavy as I realized... where Genevieve landed... blood. On her hand... I had whipped her into a corner of an end table. I let the tears fall and my chin became bumpy and everything hurt. My heart, my head. I felt as if blood had been trickling down my neck, like Genevieve. I gripped at my side which pained. Pained with hate. Hate of myself.

How could I... do this? And I was being so careful! I let go for one second... and Hell freezes over. I felt Gabby stare and I stared back. Erole didn't move, but Genevieve did, she rushed over to her desk, holding her wound, and pulled out a drawer.

I ran before I could see anything else. I cried and ran up the ladder. I almost slipped on the sweat on my palms. I hadn't even put on my mask...

Through the busy night crowds I pushed. I didn't care who saw. They could hit and scream... but none of that mattered as I ran through main square.

I threw open the door to Benny's shop. He wasn't smiling or greeting me like he usually did. Instead, as my sight was blurry and the silence of the shop was disrupted with my cried of despair.

"Erik!" he hopped over the counter and put his hand on my cloak-covered back, "what is wrong? You alright?"

"NO!" I tried to talk calmly, I really did. But... the pain... forced my voice up two noise levels.

"Well what-"

"I messed up big time, Bram... I made her bleed... I made him cry... you know what? I should not be able to communicate with people! E-e-ever..." I basically collapsed. There was a bench at my side, and Bram followed.

"Made who bleed? Yer Fox?"

"Ye-yes...!"

"And ye made your brother cry...?"

"I attacked hi-hi-him! I hit him and pulled his hair and smashed him against hard things... GAH!!!" my face fell into my hands. My palms were now wet with sweat and salty tears.

"Why?"

"He... insulted me... with the recalling of the... Christine and the Raoul and the fop-ness and he called Genevieve my babe... OOOhhh...OhoH..." I groaned now. The tears now fell through my fingers... to my black clothing.

"Ah... still a soft spot?"

"I don't love Christine anymore... hic-hic" my breathing jumped, "I really don't... but the fact that he called Raoul a girl..."

His arm was moved from my bent back. "That's a little... odd..."

"I-I'm not homosexual..." I shivered at the thought, "but... I did loose her to such an... such an idiot! Such a... loser! It makes me feel that I am lower than him... but... well- we-well... I'm not quite sure whether- whe- whether or not... I..." I cried out in pain... once more... "I am..."

Benny stayed quiet. He knew that when I was like this... I only wanted him there for three main reasons. One, to listen, two, to not give any advise and to shut up, three, to just give me the presence of a being...

His rhythmic movements on my back with his hand calmed me just the slight. He comforted me in the way only a good friend can.

"And... and... now she has seen the animal... the evil, blood-thirsty, ugly, ferocious beast... inside me. Why would an intelligent, sweet, beautiful, woman want me?"

"Can I give advise?" He knew to ask first.

"Please..." I sobbed more. Painful, heart wrenching sobs.

"She won't leave you... I know that..." he licked his lips as I stared at him.

"How?"

"Because of her... passion in her eyes..." he looked at me with kindness and sensitivity in his own eyes, "when she kissed you..."

"You walked in far after our eyes were closed..."

"No..." he smiled, "I was there when she pulled you out of that clothes room... then I just watched. Your eyes closed first... and when her eyes stayed open... I saw it."

"Saw what?"

"The same look that Denna gave me. That look that says just... pure, full love. No one has ever looked at you like that... not even Christine..."

He was right. Christine had never looked at me with such an expression that made me feel as if I had won. Came close... but never did.

"Well," I had stopped crying, "she won't ever give me that look again..."

"And why not.?"

"Because she will be too scared to even think of this... repulsive gargoyle that burns in Hell..."

"Now that is will never happen again... that self pity and doubt."

Our heads turned towards the open door. Genevieve. I licked my lips tediously and turned my eyes away from the white bandage that went across her head. Some loose pieces of hair hung over the bandage.

"Fox..." Benny stood. I wish he hadn't... he helped block her view of me. This... mess that sat in a pool of their own hate.

"Hello Bram," I heard a smile, but my eyes did not see it, for they were closed, "can I speak to Erik alone?"

He hesitated. I could feel and sense it. "Er..."

"Please?"

He probably looked at me... then he stood. I felt a great weight be lifted from the other side of the bench. Then the door closed. I presumed that she did not follow him.

Then more weight on the other side of the bench. Not as much as Bram... but it was weight.

"Erik..." her hand touched my back, not nervously or scared like I had expected, "stop crying... it's okay... rea-"

But she could not finish her sentence. It was flooded by a cry of piercing pain that hurt my own ears. It was my cry. My cry of tears and emotional striking that hit me everywhere. My love was being torn apart, and I felt it. She came here to tell me what Christine had told me. She would have given me back the ring, if I had ever given her one. She would have run off with Raoul, if there was another man. Instead, she would go back to her true, gentle, love in which they could not hurt her. Her books. Her notes. Her science... they would never stop loving her. I would never stop loving her. But she would stop loving me, and I would be left in the water, wanting to drown... but I could not. Because I was a... loser. I was as bad as Raoul... and I knew it. My low, tearful, yell of pain cried to God. Calling... "look... just kill me before she says anything..." and God did not respond. The devil did. He made the pain, and that pain was him slowly killing my soul and dragging it down to Hell. Because that was where I belonged for hurting so many people that I love.

The cry died down and ended with a quiet sob. "I- I- I- I'm s-s-sooo..." my breathing was jerky and my eyes now scanned the floor below me, letting the tears form a pool, "S-S-S-SOOOORRRRYYYY!!!"

"Erik..." Genevieve sounded quiet compared to my obnoxious cry, "please st-"

"No... N-N-N-No..." I stood and threw my weight onto a nearby store shelf, "just... tell it to me straight! Leave out the yells and tears... I have covered-d-d that!"

Her arms caressed my body from behind and her head rested on my bent back. "Get straight to what?"

"T-T-That... you never w-w-w-want to sssse me again... that y-y-you hate me... that I-I am a m-mo-monster!" more cries. This pain in my heart hurt so... bad... it killed me. Satan pulled harder on my soul...

"Erik... please... I don't think that..." her voice was soft and caring as her hands rhythmically moved up and down on my chest.

"Yes you do... why wouldn't you... y-y-you wear that bandage to prove how I wound-d-ded you..."

"I wear this bandage to block out harmful bacteria in order to help eliminate the possibility of infection..." she sounded as if she was smiling.

"You are too damn smart, you know that?"

Oh God... Erole. He was here. No... no... what would he do? He would yell. He lived in casino... they handled their problems with fights over drinks and betting who would win. He probably got himself drunk just to do it right.

"Erole... one more minute... please..." Genevieve lifted her head, probably to look at him. After the ring of the door, Genevieve put her head back on my chest. She grabbed my free arm and gently swung it back and fourth... back and fourth...

The cries became slower and quieter, but stayed long. My eyes stared at the wooden shelf in which I balanced my weight.

"Erik... I love you. I have looked deep into your psyche... I know who you are. You have lived in solitude near your whole life... what did I expect? Solitude leads to basic anger within yourself. It was bound to happen Erik-"

"AND IT DID!" I lifted myself from the shelf, forcing her to stop holding me. She kept her tight hand entwined with my weak, unwilling one, "the fact that I can make you... bleed. Create pain, emotional and physical... maybe you shouldn't be with me..."

She whipped her hand out of mine. I wanted to turn my head, but kept steady.

"Are you... you... leaving... _me?_"

I turned my wet face towards her quickly. More tears slid down as I stared at her pained face... and a tear slid down her scars.

She was swept up in an embrace. Icried quietly, at least more quiet than before, as my arms held her in my grasp. She did not wriggle or writhe... but hugged me back.

"No... no... no-no-no-no-no..." I let my head hang, "never... ever... unless you left me, we will never depart... ever. Ever... unless I cause you such physical harm to the point where... you..." I choked down tears, then thought 'forget it' and let them fall onto her hair as her head leaned on my chest, "pass..."

She cried too. I could see her face, for her head turned on my chest. My hand held back of her head softly. Her hand was at the level of my shoulder blades.

"You won't hurt me again..."

"I'm a loser. I lose everything that I try to w-w-win... I always lose... yes I will."

"You won me... now didn't you?"

"Yes, but now I will loose you because I can... hurt you enough... to..."

"No. It's a big psychology thing... long story short... since you have felt this pain with me once... now your mind will be extra careful..."

"I-I- I was being careful before... then I let go one time and..."

"You hurt no one other than yourself..." Erole said.

I looked up to see his arms wrapped around both of us. He smiled as he made it a group hug.

He made us both laugh, our laughs breathy and a little less pained.

"You know man... I have had so many bar fights..." he smiled, his eyes rimmed red, "that it didn't hurt me physically..."

I looked at him, "but it hurt you emotionally..."

"You know... I don't have emotions... they have all been killed off long before you entered. Pretty much nothing pains me anymore..."

"But, I'm your brother... we should not even shout..."

"Dude... I'm sorry for mocking you about that one Christine girl... I shouldn't have said anything. But... she called me a drunk when I barely ever drink and I just..."

"Flipped..." I smiled, "I can relate."

Genevieve nudged Erole off with a little wink to him. He dropped, with a 'don't shoot' pose.

She moved her hands to wrap around my neck. She leaned in rather fast and pressed her lips hotly against mine.

This felt so... good. I closed my eyes and responded to her kiss. I moaned and so did she. The relief that was pushed from my stomach out of my body through my throat forced another moan to escape. Tears no longer fell out of pain and pity, but now out of relief and love. We departed and looked into each other's eyes, then quickly pressed our lips together once more.

I heard the door open, ring and all, but I didn't care. I knew... that she would not leave me. What Benny had said... was true. The way she kissed me... the way she looked at me... she loved me. I loved her so much it burned. And we both knew it. I needed to be careful... I needed to not get angry or hurt anything. Not even swat at a fly. And it would be for Genevieve... and my ambitions for eternity with her... and Erole... and Benny and... Diana.... who would soon come.

We departed once more and stared at each other. She gently raised her hand and wiped away my remaining tears. I did the same. Erole sat quietly on the same bench that I sat on before.

After a few minutes of... connection... I silently stepped over to Erole.

"You hugged me before, now do it right..." I smiled as he stood and held his arms out nervously.

He hugged me and I hugged him back. He patted my back rather hard, and then he departed.

He held his fist out to me. What was that for?

"Dude..." he looked around and smiled, "fist force... fist bump...?"

I stared at him blankly.

He rolled his eyes and played with my fingers to make a very loose fist. He grabbed my wrist, held it up, and bumped his fist with my Erole-Made one.

Oh... so that was... a fist force? Was that what he called it?

"Yeah... whenever I hold my fist out... that's what you do, alright?"

"Hit your fist?"

"Yeah... try it..." and he held out his fist once more.

And... I hit his fist with my fist. Was it supposed to... hurt?

He twisted his face and whipped around his hand. "Little lighter next time, eh?"

"I'll try..." I blushed. This was weird... why do you punch other people's fists as a way of showing appreciation...?

Benny walked in as Genevieve giggled. "Hey... no more tears!" He excitedly stepped over, half ambitiously... half cautiously.

Genevieve ran over and swept him into her arms. He blushed and smiled like a fat idiot again. Erole sat next to me. I realized he was sitting like me. I crossed my ankle at my knee, so did he.

"Why are you copying me?"

"I don't know... maybe you're copying me..."

"Are you sure that I am?"

"That all depends on what you are sure on."

"I am sure that you are copying me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm not..."

Genevieve laughed out loud. "You sound like you are talking to yourself, Erik!"

Erole and I looked at each other and smiled. Our voices were the same... using the same tone. If sounded as if I was pacing the room, talking and responding to myself.

"I always knew you were crazy..." Benny smiled that fat old man smile. He was sixty. I was twenty two. Don't ask how we met... or how we stayed together for so long.

We stood. Erole and I hugged, one armed, once more. Genevieve hugged and thanked Benny for something. Genevieve and I stood in front of me and put her hand on the small of my back. She pushed me close to her and I smiled. She kissed me, still smiling, and it slowly deepened. I liked it when we kissed... a lot. The way our lips moved in sync and the way she always made me deepen the kiss.

We broke apart. I smiled and swept her up in my arms. She giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck. One across my chest, the other around my shoulder. Erole opened the door for me and instead of heading right, back to the lair, I turned left.

"Where are we going?" Erole followed some-what distantly behind us. He knew we wanted some space.

"Yeah... where are we headed?" Genevieve's silk nightgown felt soft. It felt... so... silky. Hence the name, I presume.

"Sh... just hold on..."

It was dark. I could barely see the bright flowers, if the hadn't been lit by a small, solar light. I wondered if Benny and Erole had followed us through the iron gates. I knew Erole had gone back when we reached the white gondola.

I still held her as I sat on the bench. It was wet from frost, but I didn't care. I could see her dimly, for the gondola was lit, like the garden itself, with solar lights.

"What are we doing here?" her fingers played with my cloak that I had placed in front of her to keep her warm. I could see our breath in the frosty, November air.

"I wanted to just... talk... about what happened back there..." I stared at her shadowed beauty.

"I will only listen if you let me stay in this position..." she smiled, letting her eyes glisten with night-time beauty.

I smiled with her. "The only reason that I got so angry was because he called Raoul a girl..."

She stared. "I thought you liked the woman..."

I rolled my eyes. "I did... and don't ever say that again... that makes me scared..." I smiled when she laughed.

"Okay... agreed... so why did you get do angry?"

"Because... Raoul is such a loser. He may have gotten Christine... but I am such higher than him. When Erole said that I lost her to a woman... I felt belittled. I felt as if I was lower than that... retardando..."

"Erik..." she looked at me with, what I think, was that passion, pure loving look, "I didn't know him. But... I can guess, since you are so high class, that you are ten billion times higher class," she touched my face, her arms now mobile because my arms supported her, "smarter, sweeter... sexier..."

"Genevieve!" I stared at her. Had she ever called me that before?

She pecked me on my lower lip after she winked. I smiled a small smile and squinted my eyes. I wanted to kiss her again... but felt as if I needed to continue talking. Her soft touches would force me to loose my train of thought...

"Anyway..." I knew she wanted me to kiss her, "I just wanted you to know... that I have no feelings for Christine Meredeth Daae, now De Chagney, any further. You are the only one... now and forever. I love you..."

"I love you too, Erik De Graff. Forever... until death do us part."

I stared at her. 'Till death do us part. Hm... the marriage statement. I closed my eyes and she leaned in. She... she... didn't kiss my lips... but my cheek.

"Why the cheek?" I let my eyes graze her nightgown.

"Just trying something different..."

"Ah."

And then we just stared. At each other. I felt her inside my mind. Soon, her eyebrows pushed inward and she leaned in closer, looking at me.

"What?"

"What color are your eyes?"

I smiled and chuckled a breathy chuckle, "one is blue, one is green."

"I just now noticed that... wow, what a noticeable person I am..."

"Oh... I didn't notice it until a few months ago... and I have been with me for twenty two years..."

She smiled, and we continued to stare. "Gosh... it is moments such as this that makes me thankful to... really love someone else..."

"Why...?" I was entranced my her wonderful face so close to mine.

"Because if I didn't truly, fully love you... then I would not be able to just sit here and look into your eyes..."

"Can you see anything... psychologically?"

"Hm... not really except one thing that I didn't notice before..."

"And what would that be?"

"That you are giving me a look of such passion, love, and wanting-ness... that you have never given me before..."

That look... that Benny spoke of. The one that she apparently gave me when she kissed me in my lair. I thought that she was giving me that look...

Were we sharing it?

Yes... I knew that she loved me completely. And I loved her completely.

"What made you forgive me? You know... for the..." I gently touched the white bandage.

"The knowledge of your past... of the time bomb that blew up. You can't contain it... but now since the time bomb blew up... it is done. The-"

"Sh... I get it... let us not recall it..."

"Ah. What do you say we head back? I am guessing that Erole went home, or he is wandering the flowers... lost..."

"If he's lost... then let's keep him lost so that we can be alone at..."

"Home?"

"Well, that all depends on what you consider it to be..."

"I consider it home..."

"Than home it is. I agree that we should depart."

I stood and her arms wrapped around my neck again.

"Run."

"Why?"

"Just the excitement... I figured speed would wake us up a little..."

"Then I shall run... and just try to stay on..."

I ran as fast as I could out of the garden. She cried out in excitement when I hopped up on the brink wall and ran horizontally on the wall for a few seconds, then smoothly dropped back down on the ground without a single hair our of place. I took several weird short cuts and exciting little detours.

We soon reached the opera house's front doors.

"You want excitement? I will give you a thrill... what time is it?" I smiled to her.

She looked at the sky. "Nine O'clock... moon's position..."

"Ah... eight forty five show..."

"Erik, you aren't-"

"Laugh like a maniac on my cue"

"What?"

"Scream as if I am hurting you."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

She nodded, looking unsure.

I opened the doors. No one was in the lobby, for the show was going on. I slipped into a little hidden door which, after a flight of stairs, led to the upper backstage. I had set her down and we watched the dancers prance along the stage. This was not my opera. They must've gotten it from some other writer. Carlotta was now just a dancer. The canceled her show after she literally had tomatoes thrown at her. I laughed so hard.

"Sh... do you see that stage hand over there?" I pointed to a drunk, fat, short man who handled the curtains, which remained open.

She nodded.

I picked her up from the hollow of her arms and stepped quietly over behind him.

"Why did you pick me up?" she whispered nearly in audible.

"Because you don't know how to walk silently... it is time to learn my smarts. Opera Disturbing 101."

She smiled, holding back a laugh.

"That stagehand is one of my worst stagehands. I told him to get lost days ago. He always is too drunk to know when to do anything correctly. This displeases me..."

"Oh... what are you doing to do?"

"Put this on..." I handed her my cloak. She clipped it on and it was far too large. It covered her body completely... good. I was going to scare the pants out of this stagehand.

"This too." I reached into a large, hidden pocket in the cloak, her eyes following me. She grabbed the porcelain mask and put it on her face. It fit... ha. The outstretched scars kept it on... and the mask was one size fits all, I guess.

"Laugh when I snap..." after she nodded, I sneaked up behind the stagehand.

I tapped him on the shoulder, forcing him to turn his head and jump. He stared at Genevieve, who stared dumbly back. All he saw was the mask. It could have been anyone, but he nudged away on the narrow wooden ways with a frightful gasp.

She looked at me. I held my finger up to my lips. I waited for him to cross me... then I captured him in my white-sleeved arms. He yelped a low yelp and wiggled. I gestured for Genevieve to come. She did, forcing the stagehand to gasp and stop wiggling. I took this moment to pick him up and whip him while I speed-walked.

"Follow, mademoiselle..."

She did.

I guided him towards the last little pathway above the main part of the stage. Genevieve was next to me.

"Give me that rope..."

"You aren't going to hang him, are you?" she sounded worried.

"Oh no... just strike fear into his heart... and get him to get out of here like I insisted."

She cautiously walked over to the short stack of rope and handed it to me. I viciously tied his hands together, leaving a long tail of rope as I held it.

"Grab this" I held the rope out to her.

"What the-" the stagehand looked so confused, I almost laughed.

"Sh!" I looked at him. He could not see... it was far to dark up here...

Genevieve tediously held the rope in her fist.

I sneaked behind Genevieve, who still held the rope, and matched my height with hers. The same position, too. I grabbed the rope from her hand.

"As I tell you the words, repeat them loudly... you have heard me speak, right? When I am angry?"

"Yes...?" she sounded nervous.

"Don't be nervous... and..." I kicked the stagehand off the platform. He dangled, the music stopped, the dancers screamed.

I snapped.

She had a nice psycho laugh.

"Behold!" I whispered. I held my arms wide, making hers follow.

"BEHOLD!" she kept laughing as she spoke, but it was clear.

"The Phantom may be slain, but he shall be avenged."

"THE PHANTOM MAY BE SLAIN, BUT HE SHALL BE AVENGED!"

"He is not hung... but if any more nonsense continues... they will be."

And she repeated.

"Laugh again."

And she did. She was wonderful at being a creepy mad man. Woman.

I dropped the rope and grabbed her sleeve instead. I guided her arm as I did, moving the cloak over my body.

"Keep your arm here... don't repeat that..." I whispered.

I wrapped my arms around her slender stomach. I carried her offstage and down the stairs. I carried her angel style now. I gently removed the white mask and placed it back in it's pocket.

I fell down into my lair, her scream following.

I saw Erole sitting in my large padded chair, holding a drink. He was wide-eyed.

"HOW THE HELL COULD YOU MAKE ME DO THAT!?" she yelled at me. She was twitching a smile... but her eyes were furious.

"You wanted excitement..."

"NO! That- that was... fun..." she smiled now, "Did you see that one fat dancer's face?" she laughed, "I cannot imagine... how cruel and horrible I sound... but that was so fun! Ruining the show! Oh, I'm a horrible person...!"

"Ah... I usually don't disrupt for entertainment purposes.."

"Ohh... you got the adrenaline pumping!"

"I'm sure... I really don't like that stagehand... retarded drunk..."

"Won't the people think that I am the Phantom now?"

"No... there are many imposers..."

"Others kill others just for the limelight? That's sick!"

"Isn't it... but they usually don't hurt a soul, only push them off the stage or something. I usually hurt them after they try to run... idiots..."

"Oh my God... this is ho horrible... I am the Phantom Of The Opera's fill-in..."

"No..." I smiled and pulled her close to me through her arm, "you are the Phantom Of The Opera's lover."

"What happened? Why is she wearing your cloak?" Erole stood and put his empty glass of ice on a side table.

"We had a little fun interrupting the opera... the stupid stagehand... I told him to get lost years ago..." she was about to kiss me, but I had to answer Erole.

"What did you do? You didn't kill anyone, did you? I thought I heard screams from that vent thingy over there..." he nodded his head towards the vents in which I first heard Christine from.

"We may have hurt his shoulders... but we definitely did not kill him..." Genevieve began to un- clip the cloak, her long fingers playing and experimenting... she was way off on how to get it disconnected.

I came up from behind her and twisted the metal clip the right way to get it off. She looked at me and smiled.

"Well I guess that makes sense..." she rolled her eyes at herself, "I didn't think of that..."

"I made it complicated... so that no one would try to detach it from me... it happened once and almost killed me so I figured out a good system..."

"Ah..."

Erole strode over to the four foot long grates above us. He looked up and smiled.

"She really should be wearing pantyhose..."

"EROLE!"

And he laughed, then backed off.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (AGAIN)**

**This is my longest chapter... I may have squeezed many ideas into one. :)**

**So... tell me what you think! Please review... it means so much to me! **

**Erik and Genevieve like to know what you think too... HA! I'm so crazy... **

**Thank you for reading so far! Don't worry, it gets better!**


	14. Water Fights, Underwear, And Invaders

Her fingers gently stroked my face. My eyes opened to see her face... glistening with the sun. It was like an eclipse... her smiling, beautiful face the moon, the sun... the sun.

"Good morning..." her sweet voice made my mind smile.

"Hm...." I smiled as I stared. Where... was I?

The air smelled fresh. Like... the smell after rain. Combined with a sweet... outdoors smell. It was refreshing. I definitely wasn't in my lair. Where else could I be?

Her touches felt like little massages. Her hair revealed her face... scars and all. I liked it.

"Not your usual waking quarters, huh?" she began to twirl her fingers in my thin hair.

"No... where am I...?" I was lying down.

"My garden. More like a sun room filled with flowers..." she looked around.

I was lying on my back, on something soft. Not as soft as the bed, but comfortable. I was lying my head on something... like a cradle. Cradling my head and neck as she tantalized my senses.

That explained the smells and the sun. I smiled and reached my hand up to touch her face. She responded by doing the same, with my face.

"I like to study plants... but ninety five percent here are just pretty flowers. I have finished my studies... and I am now moving onto more artsy plant studies."

The cradle around my head moved.

"What... am I laying on...?"

"Me."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"My legs are crossed, and your head is laying in my lap."

I sat up and looked at her again. This was true. She was wearing denim pants, unusual for women, and a long sleeve white shirt. She wore a blue fleece jacket over the shirt. Her hair was down... with a slight curl at the ends. I liked it.

It was unusually warm in this room. How long had I slept? Three months? It felt like Summer.

I was wearing different clothes than I was wearing previously. Odd clothes. A white, short-sleeved shirt with a collar. No tie. It was a very light fabric... some sort of cotton. I wore tan pants. Oh... oh... they showed my legs. The shorts had several pockets... and showed my legs. I didn't like it... ugh. Too open.

"Who... who changed my clothes...?" I had an image of her... seeing me shirtless... and fought back the blush.

"Erole and Benny... Erole bought the clothes, but Benny undressed you. We... knew that you would be critical... so we just did it when you were asleep."

"I am one of the world's lightest sleepers... how would I have slept through that?"

"I don't know, but you did..."

I wouldn't.

"Did you drug me?"

"NO! How could you even think that?"

"I am a light sleeper... what did you do?"

"Nothing! No one did nothing!" she smiled and moved towards me, who sat on the pastel-colored straw-like bench. The cushions were pastel green, blue, and pink. Soft...

"Okay..." she leaned on me which softened my heart, "you've convinced me."

"Flowers are beautiful... especially wildflowers..." she stood and roamed the area of flowers. The room was made of glass, so sun could come through. It was very sunny... like summer. There were so many colors... so many different types of flowers. It was not nearly as stunning as the woman who roamed among them.

"I have a heater installed..." she picked one flower that I could not see, "so they can be comfortable..."

"Ah. So that is why I am not freezing..."

"Yes."

I stood and grabbed her gently by the shoulder. "Can I pick one?"

"Pick as many as you like... right now they are in full bloom..." she smiled.

"Stay here..."

I looked at the many assortments of flowers, searching for the one I wanted. It was right at my feet now. I looked at her, whose eyes followed me. I picked the flower, keeping the long stem just long enough. At a position in which she could not see anything, I scraped the thorns off and let them fall into my palm. I picked off some leaves to make it look nice and not overcrowded, then tossed the thorns silently in the bush.

She put her hands behind her back and smiled a devious little smile as I approached.

"A good flower garden," I revealed the bright red rose behind her back, "is only an excellent flower garden if it has a well kept red rose bush."

Her eyes lit up and she winked at me. "And a good man is only an excellent man if he presents a well kept beautiful red rose to his woman."

"To his lover..." we moved closer, the rose dropping from it's stature at the level at her eyes.

"And to mine..." while she still looked at me with a look that made my heart heat up with love, she reached over to her side and picked a flower, "a beautiful Blue Droop."

The flower was not a droop at all. It was a bright blue... captivating, as it was. It stood, many petals and layers combining to make one admirable, gorgeous flower. I had never seen a blue flower before... and I took it gently in my hands as she accepted the rose.

I gently took the rose back and held the stem in my hands. I split the stem so that it was only one inch long. I then brushed over her hair, slid the flower in between her ear and her head. She smiled as I brushed the hair back into place.

I laughed when she put the blue flower on my ear. She then put the hand that held the flower, once it was balanced, and put it on the hairs that stood on the back of my neck. She leaned in and kissed me with a smile as I laughed a little. My eyes found themselves closed as my hand found her scarred cheek.

When we broke apart unwillingly for the need to breath, she began to laugh. I looked at her with a confused smile.

"Hold still..." she took a white handkerchief from her pocket. She began to wipe my lips.

I pulled back smiling. "What are you doing...!?"

"I-I-" she let her head hang in giggles, "I was wearing lipstick! Now you are too!"

I didn't pull back, but held back a smile as she cleaned the make up off of my lips. I had noticed a subtle pink gloss on her lips before. It looked... nice. I wasn't a fan of dolling up your face... unless it was for an opera. She was so beautiful, there was no need to cover anything up with concealer. Her face needed no concealing.

She put the cloth back in her pocket and still giggled.

I noticed a small statue in the center of a group of blue flowers. It was of a little girl... with angel wings and it kneeled. It prayed.

"That is a beautiful statue... what kind of rock is it?" I looked at it and her eyes followed.

"Oh..." she smiled, "I hoped that you would notice that... it is granite. I carved it myself. It even has a secret little compartment in it's tummy area... go over and open it."

"You carved this?" I touched it after following a stone path to reach it, seeing a little handle that looked like a design within the dress that she wore. I grabbed it with my thumb and index finger and opened a little door.

Paper? I reached in to find folded, skinny pieces of paper.

I laughed as I unfolded it. "Yes! Yes!" I ran over to her smiling face and let her look at the paper too, "three first class tickets to Colorado, America!"

"Yep!" she sounded excited too.

I was ecstatic. What made me even happier was the fact that the date read 'November 25'. Two days from now.

I could get her. I could just see her. I could just hear her! Oh... oh... I hugged Genevieve who struggled to keep standing in my grasp.

"Oh... oh thank you! Oh... oh in two days... well three because of the trip... I can see her. With you! With Erole..."

"Yes you can... with me..." I heard him say. We turned our heads to see him sitting on the same bench in which I slept on.

"You are a sneaky little twin, you know that...?" I broke from Genevieve, who straightened her odd clothes with her palm.

"Hm... we share that, my odd monsieur..." he stood once more.

He wore the same things I did. Same odd shirt, same shorts... Oh, my God!

"Erole!" I stepped closer to him, "what... what is that?"

He sat down once more and smiled. "Oh... it reads 'Love And Laugh Equals Life...'"

"I know what it reads... but... ugh, Erole! I didn't know you had-"

"A tattoo...?"

"Yes...!"

The quote was in red, black and green lettering. It went down below his knee.

"Do you have any others?" I looked at it's intricate detail... very fine lettering.

"Oh do I!" he smiled. He began to unbutton his shirt.

Oh... oh wow. He turned and there was a very large one of a dragon on his back. It swirled and twisted above, below, around and above flowers, leaves, and other wildlife, including water droplets.

On his shoulder read "De Graff" in the same intricate lettering as the quote.

"Wow..." Genevieve stepped over to him, dazed. What was she staring at?

Although I... said I had exercised to look normal... I didn't literally buy equipment or anything. I made the best of the equipment that I had. Climbing ropes... throwing rocks at walls and such... that sort of thing. And I never formally 'worked out' either... I found my exercise regimen within disturbing operas. It takes strength to hold that noose in place, with a victim on the other end, you know? I smiled at my thoughts. Can you imagine me on a weight bench lifting weights? In stupid exercise clothes? I held back the laugh. And I wasn't too muscular... I didn't have a model body. But I didn't have a Raoul body. I was in the middle, still skinny though. **(LITTLE AUTHOR'S STUFF IN: THIS CONVERATIONS TRANSLATES TO: "SMILEY1FACE23 IS NOT AN ANNOYING MARY-SUE WHO THINKS PHANTOM IS SO HOT!" I ONLY THINK THAT TO KEEP HIMSELF NORMAL... HE MUST HAVE SOME WAY TO LOOK NORMAL WEIGHT. I DO NOT THINK THAT THE PHANTOM IS SUCH A 'HOTTIE' OR THAT 'HE IS SO MINE!' NO... I ONLY NEEDED A SCIENTIFICLY PROVEN WAY TO MEAT HIM OUT. AND TO KEEP IT IN CHARACTER... LOL, PHANTOM ON STEROIDS... NO! OK... SORRY, JUST HAD TO PUT THAT IN)**

He... had the same body as me. It was... scary. It was like having a clone... some sort of mimic. Oh wait... he was a mimic. Or I was his mimic? I wasn't quite sure. But in my perspective... he was the wannabe.

Genevieve touched the tattoo on his chest that was a little bear, in the light of the moon, with a backdrop of the trees.

"Didn't it hurt?" she looked so curious, "I have so many questions! I have never known anyone with even one tattoo! Well, Gabby almost had one.. but she backed out. So what-"

"To answer your question, yes. But... save the others for the plane trip, that is, if Erik still wants me to go..." he began to clip his buttons back together.

"Hey... that is the first time you called me by my name... actually addressing me..." I walked towards him and fixed the button that was on the wrong hole given, "and of course I want you to go. I want both of you to come."

"Well okay..." his shirt was completely on now, "you have two days to pack and prepare yourself."

"Ah... how many days will we be staying in America?" Genevieve asked, fixing Erole's collar, "so I know how many outfits to pack."

That also applied to me.

"As long as it takes... I already packed a weeks worth of outfits... including underwear..." Erole smiled as she rolled her eyes. I had to laugh at that. I don't know why, but the way he said it... the little sarcasm twang that always made me crack up.

She giggled and Erole smiled. "I'm not used to sober people laughing at my cracks..."

"Well... you do work at a casino..." Genevieve turned her back.

"Nah, it's because you need to be drunk to think that I am funny..." Erole's smile depleted.

"What are you talking about?" I stared at him with a little grin, "you just made a half-depressed murderer who lives alone in a hole laugh and smile!"

He looked up and chuckled. "Yeah, you are somewhat of a loner..."

"Well..." Genevieve put her hand on my back. I loved her touch... "he won't be alone for long. Soon, he will have a little girl feet running around his lair!"

"I never though that a woman would ever say that to me..." I smiled, seeing the similarities of a common phrase used when a woman is pregnant...

I had never thought of having blood-related children. Sure, I had an idea of getting married. But that step of... interaction of intimacy... frightened me. I had never even... considered that with Christine. Ever. Never. In fact... when I was young... I took an oath of no... connection... until marriage. It may sound stupid, but after seeing pregnant woman looking so... heavy and big and abnormal... I wouldn't like to see the sight. Not with Genevieve. No... she was too perfect. Too nice.

"Erik..." she waved her hand in front of my face. My eyes and mind zoned back in, seeing Erole smiling.

"Guess that scares you a little, eh? The idea of kids?" he smiled wider, "no man just zones out unless he is scared or confused..."

Genevieve shot him a look, and he stopped smiling. "How about we leave that subject for the plane ride, huh?"

Why was she... angry? Her face was just the slight red... or was that just her natural pink cheeks? Was she afraid too? Did she ever even consider it? I wondered if she wanted to have children. That would be weird. Telling her that I was uncomfortable with it. I pondered what it would lead to. A fight? Would she understand? Who knows?

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One vest... I have been looking for that one... oh, my maroon overcoat. Genevieve had already bought me eight shorts and eight assorted shirts, one extra of each. And these odd shoes. They were plastic.. and had a strap of more clear plastic going in between my big toe and the toe next to that one. The strap then went around the top of my foot. She also packet a sweatshirt... a... really odd sweatshirt. What was that man doing wearing make up? And his tongue... ugh. It was long and pointy and he stuck it out. 'Kiss'? Was that their name or something? She let me do the classy outfit. In case... I needed to go to court.

How would they react? I doubt that they will just let me take her. But I also doubted that they would fist fight me for her. I didn't know what they would do. And I would cross that bridge when we got there.

Ah. If we went to court, I knew exactly what to do. I had credentials. Genevieve had been in law, and she had been a lawyer for child care services. I had a home in which she could live in. I coud provide a warm, secure place for her to sleep. I could giver her food, water, and all other basic survival needs. She would lack neighbors, but when she went to school, then maybe she would make friends. They could live in the middle of the forest, who knows? I could be non-abusive. I could make her happy and healthy.

The question was, who had more credentials?

I began to unbutton my shirt to put on a new, fresh navy blue shirt. Before I had started packing, we went to the store to get Erole some personal things. Well, they went into the store while I sauntered around the store's hidden presence. I ran into some teenage idiot who tried to act as if he was bigger than me. I took care of him with a single glare and a stretch of the chest. I smiled and climbed the ladder to the store's roof when he ran. So, since I... liked these new shirts... I wanted to find any excuse to wear a new one. They were comfortable... not hot and thick like my others.

I opened the door out of my bedroom. I heard a loud, rough scream. My eyes widened at the male scream. Who was it? What was happening? What else could possibly go wrong, when everything was going so right. Finally...

Erole. Of course. He was splashing around in the water, his obnoxious flailing arms creating waves and splashes. He wasn't drowning, instead just... yelling.

"D-" he gasped as he hurried to the shore, so far away, "Dude! D-drown-"

He grabbed onto my leg and pulled himself. He was wearing... boxers. That was it. I laughed when he rolled over and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Were you drowning?" I helped him up, his skin slippery.

"N-N-no... but-b-but she is!" he pointed to the water.

"Genevieve?" he smile wore off. I began to run tot he water when he grabbed my shirt.

"No... curly. Brown hair. Creepy! Dude! I know you kill people, but storing them in your lake? Man, that's sick..."

Oh... I sighed. Then I laughed.

"In undergarments?"

"Yeah... dude! I know you are alone a lot, but control the manly urge, eh?"

"No... no... she's fake."

"Yeah I know... did you see how perfect they were? I knew that those two were fake..."

I smiled and put my hand on his wet shoulder. "No. She's a doll. That was... Christine."

"You almost killed a guy... over a Barbie?"

"No... she is a manikin. I made her to fit her wedding dress..."

"Out of what?"

"Wax."

"Where did you get enough wax to make... her?" he looked over at the now disturbed water.

"I have a lot of candles and I can put them in a pot above fire. And... I can sculpt. After dreaming of her so much, she was imprinted in my mind."

He laughed.

"What?"

"Dude... you're such a loser!"

"What do you mean?"

He laughed harder. "You make Barbie's of chicks that you dig? What the-" he let his head hang back with laughter.

I licked my lips and rolled my eyes. He was right...

"That's so creepy! Wh-why would you do that?"

"I was obsessed over her, Erole..."

"Really?" he was sarcastic now.

"Yes... hard to believe, no?"

"You draw her so much, why didn't I guess that before?"

"Yes... in the art room, I posted my pictures..."

"Genny won't be too happy with that, now will she?" his smile depleted, mimicking my movements.

I thought about that. She wouldn't like having my previous love posted everywhere. I wouldn't like it either...

"Ah well, we should... probably fish her out, no? It's really creepy that there is a half naked Barbie in your lake."

"You can. I don't want to see her face..."

"Nah, her paint was washed off... now it's just fake hair and white skin. And underwear, of course. And if you don't want to see her face, I recommend that you don't walk into your gallery..."

He jumped into the lake again, falling under the water with a splash.

Then a question hit me after he emerged, looking around for 'Christine', hair falling over his face.

"Why are you swimming in my lake, anyway?" I crossed my arms.

"You don't mind do you?" he looked up from his search.d

"No... as long as you don't...go in the water."

He laughed. His laugh was raspy yet deep, like my laugh. It was my laugh.

He went back under the water, then back up. "I was bored, so I figured why not go swimming?"

"Do you know the last time that I cleaned that lake was?"

"Never... you don't clean a lake."

"I almost killed someone in that lake."

"Did you puke in the water?"

I laughed a breathy laugh. "No."  
"Did you use the bathroom in the water?"

"No."

"Did you dump any toxic chemicals in the water?"

"What is your definition of toxic?"

"Anything that could kill me."

I thought for a minute. "Er... no. Wait... yes, no. Definitely no."

He went under the water. I guess he didn't care that there had been dirt, bacteria and algae in that water.

When he emerged, his arms wrapped around a white manikin. The hair was damp, straight, and pulled over the blank face. He stumbled to shore, the wax heavy and puling him down.

My lake had been improved. When I had tried to kill Raoul, it was shallow n the deepest part of it. I had deepened it... yet made it gradually deepest in the middle. The sides were still shallow. I was tired of people just stepping from my lake to my lair. So, they could swim or drown now.

He dragged the half naked wax woman to shore, his body shiny and his tattoos glistening.

"What the Hell?" Genevieve stared at the strange sight and her eyes widened.

"He.... he" he was out of breath, "he's a creep-p and made a doll of h-h-his obsession!"

"Excuse me?" she looked at me.

"Just a sizing manikin..." I helped him up.

Whoa! Woooo...

Bubbles filled my wide, burning eyes. Clear, blue water soaked my clothes and made it impossible to breath.

I sunk. I felt myself sinking. I saw him appear, cheeks puffed to preserve air. I smiled and waved my arms toward hum. I propelled myself towards him and smiled. I blew bubbles through out of my nose. I grabbed his boxers and pulled. I didn't look, but he laughed under the water and his face flattened. He grabbed my shirt and twisted it in his fist. I smiled, revealing my teeth now. We both had fake vain in our eyes as we pretended to fight underwater. We made stupid sounding karate sounds. He went up for a brief breath of fresh air. I followed. When I did, I threw off my shoes and socks. He grabbed on my ankle and pulled me down. I grabbed his arm and twisted one way with one fist, the opposite way with the other. Indian burn. He groaned, but it didn't seem to effect him too much. He grabbed my shirt and threw me towards the bottom of the lake. I grabbed a rock on the side of the lake to keep from falling to the bottom of the pool. He began to swim towards me and I swam towards the middle of the lake. I felt the collar and sleeves come off, and turned to see them hanging on the edge of the lake. Erole laughed after he went up for air and grabbed the remaining fabric on my chest. He pulled me up and let me breath, for my face was turning blue. I laughed as did he and we splashed around on the surface. I pulled him down and he grabbed the remains of my shirt once more. I heard Genevieve yelling something, but I ignored it. This was- whoa! I felt my back hit the bottom of the lake and he landed on top of me. I kicked him in the gut lightly and he grabbed my shirt as he fell off of me. He pulled my shirt with him as I held onto swam up forward, but he stayed down. I was shirtless and so was he. Fair game now. I was amazed at how clean the water was. Had I cleaned it...? Ah ha! I laughed out loud as I breathed more air, his head following me. He twisted his fist in my shorts. He pulled them down and he laughed.

"Erole!" I yelled, my face turning red. I splashed him as I now was on the surface.

He threw them on shore and pushed on my chest. I forgot that I was in my underwear and pushed him down to the bottom. His hand pushed me up.

"What are those?!" his bubbly voice was barely audible.

"What?" I couldn't even understand myself.

He pointed to my legs. Ah.

I would answer that later. I threw him by the arm to the surface. He did not fight back. He swam then crawled onto the shore. He was laughing, although he was so out of breath and tired that they sounded pathetic. He laid on the stone ground, his laughs filling the air. I followed and rolled him over on his back. I bent my knee and put my foot on his back.

"Victory!" I yelled, laughing with Erole and putting no weight on his back at all.

"Fine, Captain Morgan!" he smiled and turned his head so that he could use his face.

We laughed and I helped him up. His hand slipped the first time, forcing me to laugh once more. Once up, we heard a new giggle. Genevieve.

Erole kept laughing but I was silent. How could I do that in front of Genevieve? Fighting in water was so immature... ugh. I just made a fool of myself in front of my love. Great... and she was laughing. Ohh... I was in my underwear too... gah. My stomach felt queezy and Erole stopped laughing.

"What's wrong?" he looked me while I stared at Genevieve who stared at me.

Genevieve's eyes scanned me. I blushed and my whole body shook.

"You cold?" he threw a towel that he got from somewhere over my back.

Genevieve broke out in a full laugh. "E-Erik!"

I wrapped the towel around my body as I let it hang down on my back.

"Where are you goin'? What about a rematch?" Erole and Genevieve's eyes followed me.

And I slammed the door.

***************************************-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Erik! Unlock the door..." Her voice was accompanied with three knocks.

I pulled the shirt over my chest. I slammed the drawer shut and glared at the door in which they stood behind.

"Dude... what happened?" Erole also joined.

This was embarrassing. She saw that I was an immature idiot who swam in their underwear. I wasn't, but something about Erole... his actions. He was so fun and insane. I... I liked it. It was like looking into an alternate me. The successful, happy, exciting one. And he followed me around and was going on a plane with me for hours on end. I... I don't know why I acted the way I did.

"Erik... please?" she pleaded.

"I still don't know what's going on..."

"Erole, shut up."

"What? I don't see why we are doing this. The guy's changing. What a crime."

"Oh, fine!" I walked over to the door in a hurry, unlocked it, and threw it open. Erole was still half naked and Genevieve looked beautiful. As usual.

Genevieve took initiative and stepped into the room confidently. Not angry... but confident and speedy. Erole followed tediously and looked at me who was lost in Genevieve.

"Erik..." she sat on my bed and smiled, all confidence now turned into love and nurturing, "what's the matter? You just... stormed out of there..."

"Oh, what do you think? I just embarrassed myself in front of my dearest and my brother..." I sat next to her, my hair still damp as my head fell into my hands.

"What are you talking about? Dude! I've never seen you not stuck up and dark. You actually had fun, didn't you?" Erole smiled at me and sat next to Genevieve.

"Well... it was fun... but still. I was in my... undergarments... and... that itself ruins it..." I looked up and let myself enjoy the feeling of Genevieve's hand on my back. Slowly moving up and down, then kneading my neck softly upon reaching the top.

"Oh, don't think that. You... you look... cute with... no pants on..." she sounded awkward and looked like it when I looked up at her.

"I still don't get why they are so tight, though..." Erole played with the fabric on the sheets.

"They are boxer-briefs. Tight boxers... I wear them so that... fabric does not bunch up with my tighter pants."

Genevieve giggled and turned red. Her hand moved away from my back and gripped her tight thigh.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have brought that up..." I blinked at her. **(OH MY GOSH! PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR LETTING ME GET THIS STUPID! UGH... I PROBABLY SOUND like SUCH A MARY SUE TALKING ABOUT HIS UNDERWEAR PREFERANCES!)**

"Oh that's alright..." she loosened up, "it's just that I never thought of it..."

"I doubt that anyone has..." I smiled and let _my _hand stroke her back.

A day later, I sat in my bedroom, looking at the changing room door.

"Almost done?"

"Hold on..." her voice sounded struggled.

The door opened. "Do you like this one, or the shiny green one?"

She wore a dress that went just an inch below her knees. It was a deep purple that shined just the slight. She wore black and purple high heel shoes with a tiny bow on top. She wore black earrings and black necklaces around her neck. Bright purple necklaces and bracelets accompanied it. She looked so beautiful...

She was dressing for a dinner. She was packing a conservative outfit, a slightly-conservative dress which was this one, a comfortable outfit for the plane, a really conservative outfit, and a revealing outfit in case she needed to role play for anything. I have been sitting here for an hour telling her which one I liked and which ones I didn't. I liked all of them. I didn't care... she looked amazingly stunning in anything she wore. She could wear mans clothing and look feminine and wonderful.

"Erik.... wake up and smell the roses..." she leaned on the wall with her arm.

"I- I like it" I went back to the book that I was reading. The romance novel. Stacy likes John who likes Carla, but Carla likes Stacy, but she also likes John a little. So she was lesbian? But she liked John... ah well. This was so emasculating... both the book, and the fact that I was being asked for fashion advice from Genevieve.

"You have said that with every outfit... say something different or something..." she looked at herself in the tall mirror. She skimmed her palms over her waist. "I'm fat....I'll go with the green. It makes me look skinny."

"You aren't fat..." I rolled my eyes. At Genevieve, and at how Jessica was giving up Brad for Jamie in my book. Jamie was a boy, yes. I would kill myself if my name was Jamie. Girl name.

"I gained five pounds..." she looked at my reflection with her reflection.

"Since when?" my mouth hung open in disgust.

She looked around the room. "Six months..."

"I barely eat, and I gained five pounds in the last six months."

"Eh..." she almost tripped on her shoes when she entered the dressing room.

She was so self conscious in front of me. I saw her in front of Gabby and she insisted to her that she was so much prettier than her, despite her face. I turned the page in my book. This was such a girl book. I had no business reading it, but I wanted to find out if Herold gets Nadia or George. He was confused. Weirdest book that I have ever read... and I have read a lot of books.

She exited with her suitcase in hand, normal clothes. She wore denim shorts that went right above her knee. Yellow shirt. Those odd black and white shoes with little soles.

"Well... let's go... we have to take Erole to go buy a real suitcase..." she put on sunglasses and her hair was curled. She curled it slightly, it hanging past her face and shoulders.

We stepped out of the room, the only sound, our shoes clicking. Why we did not talk was unknown. I didn't like the silence... but it was no use starting a conversation now, for we were at his door.

We moved him to the peacock bed. He didn't like it... but once he fell into the soft sheets for the night, he quickly stopped the complaints. Genevieve spent the night with me in my bedroom when I slept. I slept once a month now. Unless something drastic made me so exhausted that I couldn't move, I stayed up. She wanted to stay up with me, but she usually fell asleep, arm hanging over my chest.

"Erole!" Genevieve knocked on the door with her knuckles, "let's go!"

"I'll be right there!" he yelled, his voice muffled from the door.

I followed her to the main room. She sat down at the stool to the organ, staring at the keys.

"What's the matter, Love?" I sat next to her, "you aren't yourself."

"Oh, you won't care..." she traced her fingers over the keys.

"Oh, yes I will..." I wrapped one arm around her back gingerly, "I always care, Love."

She swayed and smiled. "Well... I-I have just... always wanted to be able to play an organ..."

"That's not it... I can feel it."

"Yes it is...!" she looked at me and pressed a random key. E.

"You know of everything..." I stared at her, "but you don't know how to play an organ? Even an idiot like me can do that..." I nuzzled my lips on her neck as she giggled.

"I never thought of it. I can play piano... is it like that?"

"How about I play you a song and you can be the judge of that, eh?" I placed my hands on home row keys.

"What will you play?" she scooted away to give me room. I wanted her to stay.

"Look through my music, and tell me which one you like..." I handed her the thick folder of my originally composed music.

She look intimidated and warily opened the round folder. "Big..."

I smiled. This was _every _piece of organ music that I owned. Composed. I never wanted to divide it into their own individual folders, for I liked it all in one place.

At last, she pulled out a paper from the large stack. "This one looks interesting..."

She held it up. The notes were complicated and were played fast. "But I'll pick another one..."

"Why?" I smiled, tapped my fingernails on the porcelain keys, practicing the song silently.

"It looks too hard..."

"I composed it... if you like it, I can play it" I smiled. She knew nothing of my talent. I would show her gradually... starting with this.

She slowly handed it to me who moved it to my stand built into the wood.

"Come closer to me. You are too far away..." I closed my eyes as she leaned her head on my arm. The notes varied from high to very low, but I would make it work.

I played the first note. It was slow to move to the next and then there was a whole rest. It then became incredibly fast, complicated, and interesting. I felt her head come up and she stared at my hands who ranged from the right side of the keyboard, to the left, then middle, then right, etcetera. I

heard her moan and her mouth dropped agate.

The climax was starting and she stared between my face, which looked at her, to my hands.

Ending the song with three sudden accented notes, we sat in silence. She stared at my still hands, now moved onto home row.  
"How- how did you do that? W-while looking at me?"

"I memorized the song... that one is older."

She shook her head, lips still open. She leaned on me again and pressed another random note. F.

"So... is organ like piano?" I followed her movements, grazing my bare hands over the keys.

"Oh! Oh... I-I I don't know... sure?"

"You weren't thinking of that, were you?"

"No... I was lost in your music. You are an amazing composer and player Erik. Beautiful..."

A 'D' filled the air.

"Thank you... I have enough time for a lot of practice..." I grabbed her hand and guided her towards home row, "sit on my lap."

"What?" she awoke from her trance at my strange request.

I smiled and patted my thigh. She awkwardly moved closer to me... not quite sure what to do. So, I picked her up from her waist and positioned her on my lap.

"I want a dolly for Christmas..." she made her voice sound childish and young.

I smiled and adjusted my hands on top of hers. I slid my fingers in between hers. She wrapped her fingers around my hand as my fingers touched the keys. Wherever my hands went, hers would follow.

"What are you doing?" she was laughing at how stupid we must look. Oh well. She was warm and I was cold... her body heat was comforting.

"Teaching you how to play organ."

"What?"

"Just a quick lesson of the key names..."

"Oh, Erik...!"

I began to play a familiar song and she laughed harder as her arms followed mine. "You sweet fool..."

I didn't know what to say to that. Was she complimenting me? Yes... she was just calling me a fool for humor. I smiled at her.

"And her fleece was white as snow!" she sang the last line and smiled.

"I cannot tell you if it resembles piano, for I have never played one..."

"Oh, it doesn't!"

"Well that's good!"

She was calm and interested as I showed and told her the key names and positions.

Then there was splashing again. We looked to see... no one. In the lake, there was no one.

The splashing had to be coming from the catacombs that led to the upstairs stage.

"Who is it?" Genevieve's smile washed off, as did mine. She leaned off off my lap and I stood.

"Georgia! Do you think we should be down here...?" a girl's voice echoed down the halls.

"Ah, relax..." another's persuaded.

I grabbed Genevieve's wrist. " Help me blow out all of the candles..." I hurried and pinched a flame in between my thumb and index finger. She blew others out, while the lair became darker and darker until... nothing.

I heard Erole come out. I rushed over to him, because I knew this place like the back of my hand, and clapped my hand over his mouth. I felt Genevieve's hand on my back, just wanting to stay with me. It was scary down here in the dark. It was scary down here in the light.

The splashes of the girl's steps rushed into the main lake.

"It's so dark in here..." Georgia's voice didn't echo as much.

"Well, it's not like anyone is down here to light them..." the other rang in.

"What about that one girl who interrupted our dance...?" she sounded persuasive, "hey, I feel a candle holder... I have matches, hold on."

I heard a soft scrape and the room lit up from the candle. She lit up more as she discovered them. It lit up the door to the gallery, the organ. And the door to Erole's room.

But I had guided them silently behind the organ. I lit a candle once they did to light Genevieve's and Erole's sight.

I heard them walking around, in ballet shoes. They were dancers... whoop de doo.

"When I snap," I looked at Genevieve, "laugh like you did at the opera, okay?"

She nodded.

"Erole," my voice was nearly inaudible, "Follow my movements on the other side of the room. Mimic me like you did at Benny's shop."

He nodded.

"Erole, do you see that ladder?" I pointed to the rusty ladder on the side of the wall.

He looked at nodded.

"Climb up that silently. It is still hidden by darkness..."

He slowly stood, then cautiously put one foot on top of the other to climb.

I smiled at Genevieve. "I will be near you when I snap..." and I stood to leave for my plan.

She held my cloak. "Wait... you are going to leave me alone?"

"I must... will you be okay?" I kneeled next to her as I listened to the girls chatting about me and Genevieve.

"Yes, just go..." she smiled, "if you are going to make this funny, then please go."

I smiled and silently climbed up a rope to the rafters of my lair. I saw Erole, staring at me. I winked.

"This is the cue..." I mouthed and made a fist, "to drop down."

He nodded and mimicked my fist. I smiled and so did he. I realized that he was practicing and held up my hand. He did it quickly before I even finished. He was good.

I stood up from my crouch, and so did he. I moved my hand to tell him to crouch down again. I stood above Genevieve, who stared at the girls. I stomped lightly to get her attention. She looked up and twitched a quick smile.

"Mask" I mouthed, and covered my face with my palm.

"How?" she mouthed.

I looked around, seeing a rope. A thin rope.

I grabbed it and threw one end down to Genevieve. I held the other. I pointed to my eye as she held the mask, trying to figure out how to attach the rope.

"Hey look... a rope!" one of the girls sounded amused. We froze, then Genevieve hurried to tie the rope around the eye hole. I heard them walking towards us. What would I do?

I looked at Genevieve and snapped.

She was caught off guard, but laughed loud and proud. The girls stumbled and yelped.

"Now!" I whispered.

She tied the knot and I yanked the rope up. I was about the grab it when I yanked it up more because I couldn't reach it. Then, the mask hit the wooden board. It broke it two, but I caught the fallen piece in the other hand.

DAMN! That was my last mask... now I had nothing. Except these two pieces. I sighed aggravatingly at my own stupidity and stood. I leaned over to see the girls, one a curly-haired blonde, cowering away from the source of the laugh.

Genevieve took initiative and yelled warnings of staying away. I was focused on my mask to notice what she said.

I saw Erole, still crouching, but now staring at me with concern. I held up the two pieces of mask for him to see and his eyes widened. I shrugged and so did he. I placed the broken mask pieces on a board behind me and forgot about it. I looked at the girls who now looked at each other in the silence.

I gave Erole the signal.

I dropped, then he dropped. The girls squealed at our sudden appearance, masks missing. A gruesome sight.

We stepped towards them in sequence.

"GEROGIA!" the chubby one screamed as they backed away from the slow stepping ugly men approaching them.

They cried and held onto each other and fell onto their knees. "WE'RE SORRY! WE WERE ONLY CURIOUS! WE SWEAR WE WON'T TELL! PLEASE SPARE US, MR. PHANTOM!"

Erole began to laugh. Loudly. Then I followed, only to keep the same.

"Mr. Phantom?!" we both said as the girls loosened up and stared, "that sounds like a gangster name!"

"Yeah!" Genevieve stepped out from behind her hiding place, "Mr. Phantom... wow."

Everyone laughed and the girls stood, trying to laugh with us. They were too scared to actually laugh.

"There- there are three phantoms? A man, a second man, and a woman?" one whispered to the other.

"Yes... three..." Erole said, and I followed. This was harder than it looked to copy someone.

That was when the girl stumbled up and ran away screaming. They splashed, making both Erole and I wet. Well, wetter. We were knee deep in water. They were soaking because they had to swim in order to get here.

"Shouldn't we go get them?" Genevieve stood next to us as the girls turned the corner, one stumbling over their feet.

"Ah, let them go. No one will believe them..." I responded as the laughing stopped.

"PPPPHHHHHTTTT!" Erole broke out, "MR. PHANTOM!"

He laughed when no one else did. What was so funny? She didn't know my name... what else was she to call me?

She lay next to me, arm wrapped around me. I had pulled the blankets on top of her already warm body, and mine. She would get cold as she slept. Tonight she decided to lay her head on my chest also. I let my fingers graze through her hair. Her breathing was soft and I loved the sound. She was sound asleep, while the freak that she loved lye awake. I didn't feel tired, but I felt a twang of hunger. I always stayed with Genevieve until she awoke and we would spend the morning together. But tomorrow, I wouldn't. I would make her breakfast... and Erole too. Why not? And me. We were leaving at four in the morning... so I would awake early. Well, in an hour. It was midnight... and they would take up at two. I would allow myself an hour. In the meantime... I would enjoy her. She moved a little and made a little groan. She was dreaming. Of what, though? It would be interesting to know what goes on during people's heads when the dream. Was she dreaming of me? Of Erole? Gabby? I wondered what Gabby was doing right now... well, obviously, she was sleeping. At home. What was she dreaming of?

I let my fingers stay still now. I was deep in thought about people. What had they thought of? How many times do they change their thoughts throughout the day? Why do people think the things they do?

And my thoughts drifted as I stared at the clock, lit by a very dim candle. I always kept a candle lit at night now. In case she needed to get up or she was scared. I would do anything for her.

Anything.

**AUTHORS NOTE!**

**YOU AN REVIEW IF YOU'D LIKE! I WON'T BEG OR PLEAD, BUT I DO LIKE REVIEWS! I ALSO LIKE GOOD FEEDBACK! TELL ME WHAT I CAN DO BETTER OR TELL ME WHAT I DID WELL!**


	15. Creeps On A Plane

"I'm not a big fan of this feeling..." I clutched my thigh. The beeps and the pressure was not making this fun.

"When we are up, just chew some gum... the ringing in your ears will stop..." she put her hand over mine.

"Mmmm..." Erole let his head press against the back of the tan seat.

Suddenly the pressure was relieved and our heads jerked forward. Where was that gum?

A ding filled the air. "M-kay... we are officially at the preferred flying height, m-kay... so enjoy your flight passengers, m-kay... upon request we can bring out full meals or snacks to fill your bellies, m-kay... this is your pilot Henderson, saying please enjoy your trip, m-kay..."

"I'm sure I will, m-kay Henderson..." Erole relaxed and mocked the pilot. We laughed and Genevieve tried to get the attention of a flight assistance.

"Dude... this is so much fun!" Erole smiled wider and crossed his legs.

"But you know what was funner?" I looked at him laughing.

"What?"

"When you tried to get past airport security with firecrackers and fireworks!" I laughed, remembering his strip-search.

"I thought that Diana might like sparky things!" he defended himself.

Genevieve sipped from a glass of water that she received from the assistance. She smiled at the memory.

We wouldn't be hungry for a while. I had made eggs, bacon, sausage, the works. It did take forever to squeeze that orange juice though... oh well. The look on their faces when they -we- ate was worth it. I liked it when people liked the things that I made. Like music or food.

In first class, there were only two families. One was us, the other was a... well, I don't know. I had never seen them. I only heard their soft voices chatting to one another. I bet we sounded obnoxious to them. Oh well. I was going to enjoy this as long as I could. I don't care what people think or say.

The only problem getting on the plane was Erole. He insisted upon bringing fireworks. We didn't know when he hid them in his suitcase, and the police captured him. We were trying to be concerned, we really were, but as he was sitting in his underwear, the police searching him, we had to laugh. And when they asked him to remove his underpants... we looked away and giggled. We boarded the plane and settled down afterwards.

We were allowed one carry on. I brought my music that I was working on, an ink pen, the ink, and some extra paper. Also... a leather mask. I realized that anything breakable was not smart... so I converted to very hard leather. It looked the same, but it also stayed on better and was more comfortable. Warmer. I had brought it along with my music and put it on the minute I stepped on the plane's entering tunnel. I had also brought along my space book and my historical book. I finished my romance book. George won over Sam, but Sam won over Reggie at the same time. Then, while all of that was going down, Jessica had kissed Sarah, who also loved Ernie at the same time. On a side note, Ken loved Genny who loved Ken back, but was too shy to admit it. But Ken also liked Sam, who had that whole thing with George happening. So, it all ends with George loving Sam, Jessica and Ken, Sarah and Reggie, and Ernie was dating his cousin who was nameless.

I decided that I didn't like romance novels. Too feminine and confusing. I had to give women more credit for being able to keep up with all of this gossip. I had sighed a sigh of relief when I finished.

Genevieve took out a map and put it on the table that folded from the large table that came out from the seat ahead of us. She traced a compass over it. But... it wasn't a map. It was a blue/black paper with assorted colored dots all over it. Blue, blue-white, yellow, yellow-orange, orange, orange-red, and red. Hm... what were those?

"What are you doing?" I looked over to the map and then at her. Her hair hung in front of her face once more.

"I am marking the constellations on my star map" she rolled the compass once more over the paper. It left a perfect round line. She then traced the red marker over a ruler and made a perfect line connecting two lines.

"Why are the stars different colors?"

"Remember how I told you how stars are different temperatures?"

"Yes..."

"Well, a device called a spectrograph breaks the star's temperatures into colors. Red is the coldest, while blue is the hottest. Like a flame. Blue is the hottest, yet red flames are colder. So, each star on here is colored according to it's temperature."

"Interesting... what constellation are you labeling now?" this really was interesting how smart people were so smart.

She smiled and giggled. "Orion."

"Hm... our constellation..." I kissed her neck lightly a single time and smiled. She giggled and dropped her compass on the map.

Erole cleared his throat at us when I moved my lips up to hers. I took the hint and let her continue her work as I sat quietly.

"God," he smiled, "I can't take you anywhere!"

We laughed and Genevieve smiled.

We heard the other couple mumble something and quieted down to see if we could hear them. We couldn't.

I took out my music, my pen, and my sealed tin of ink. I would not unwrap the plastic wrap, but instead make a hole small enough for my pen. In case it spilled, it would not spill as much as if it was open.

"A" I sang quietly, "no... 'C'... yes..." I wrote it down.

"So is that how you compose music..." Genevieve had been looking over at my music. Erole was the one who said something, but he also gawked.

"Yes... I test each note and find which one is best."

"Wow... that takes very much concentration and skill, Erik..." Genevieve's mouth hung agate.

"I could never do that..." Erole smiled and went back to... nothing. He did nothing except stare out the window.

"What are you doing, Erole?" I finally spoke after Genevieve went back to her work and I put down my pen.

"Just thinking..." he mumbled.

"Well," I crossed my ankles, "you did say that on this trip... we could... connect. Do you want to talk about what you are thinking?"

"Dude. It has been twenty minutes..." he looked at me. His eyes drooped just the slight. He smiled sleepily. He wasn't himself.

"Ah. You aren't used to waking up this early. Or... do you have a hangover?" I smiled at him and he blinked. His eyes drooped lower with that blink.

"Ah, you know I don't drink much..." his head nodded slightly to the left.

"Sleep, Erole. You're tired... and you have twenty two hours to recuperate."

He smiled a twitch and leaned his head against the head rest. He turned his head towards the window. Was he looking out of it or was he just comfortable that way?"

I turned back to my music. I sung a short, quiet 'B' and decided that a 'G' would fit better. Or... I tested the 'G'. Oh, definitely 'G'. Yes...

Genevieve's hand traced a line on the page. She looked confused. "If Betelgeuse is there... then where..."

All was quiet except for my occasional note and her few grunts of concentration. We still heard the others mumble and chat, but they were too quiet to hear. I wanted to know who they were... just to know. Were they elderly? Is that why they were so quiet? Plus, in order to get first class, then they must have money. And age can lead to savings. Who knew?

Erole's head tilted towards us. Both Genevieve and I looked at the sudden movement.

So that was what I looked like when I slept peacefully. He did look exactly like me... without the nightmares. He slept peacefully and very quietly. His eyelids twitched slightly.

"What do you think he is dreaming of?" Genevieve put her hand on the back of my neck.

"How do you know if he is dreaming?" I whispered like the other people.

"His eyelids are moving. That is a sign of REM sleep. REM is deep, imaginative sleep. Dream state."

"Oh... interesting... speaking of dreams..." I turned my attention towards her and she removed her hand, "what were you dreaming of last night?"

"Hm?" she looked at me confusingly.

"Well, you were dreaming of something. You mumbled and moved around."

"Did I hit you?" she turned worried.

I blew air through my nose and made it sound like a laugh, "what?"

"I was... dreaming of defeating the killer of Pharaoh Tutankhamen..." she smiled, "and I won..."

"Who was killing what?"

"King Tut. An Egyptian Pharaoh that was merely a boy when he became ruler. He was killed mysteriously..."

"Oh... a history lesson..." I smiled, showing my teeth, and put my ankle on the opposite leg's knee, "I like history."

"Really? Why?"

"I... I am just fascinated with how our species evolved and how people worked out the kinks. Still working out the kinks."

"Me too... you know, my favorite time period is the middle ages..." she wrapped her arm around me, her fingers playing with the fake wig that I wore.

"Medieval times? Why?" I snuggled my head gently into her hand. If the family behind us was behind us, they could not see anything. The chairs went about five inches above our heads. For comfort, of course.

"I like how brutal they were, yet they believed in peace and love as their greatest belief."

"Hypocritical..." I smiled and let my hand touch her back as she leaned into me. She moved the armrest up and she snuggled into me.

"Yuh-huh..." she sounded smoggy.

"Are you tired too...?" I watched the top of her head as she nodded on my chest. "Then sleep."

"We're... talkin'..." she blinked.

"Not anymore... sleep, and sleep in your chair so you feel more comfortable. Just look at Erole... a lump."

And she moved to her chair. I moved the armrest up and called over assistance. I requested two pillows and two blankets. In a minute or so, she returned with my request. I thanked her and she walked away in uniform, perfect hair and smile.

I positioned the pillow under Genevieve's head, careful not to wake her. I lay the blanket over her relaxed body. She moaned in her sleep and twitched a smile. I softly moved the hair away from her scars and kissed a peck on her cheek. I let the hair fall into place as I stared at her for a moment. So perfect. So divine.

I then placed the other pillow under Erole's head. He had bought his hat along, but he didn't wear it. What was the point of wearing it when no one cares? I wore my wig and mask for the staff. And if I would ever see that other family...

After I placed the blanket over his body, his voice was crackly and he smiled, eyes closed.

"Now don't you go tucking me in..." he dozed off once more after he leaned back into my chair.

I put away in music, wrapping a new, fresh piece of clear wrap over the ink. I did nothing now. I didn't feel like doing much at all. I felt... fatigue. Not sickly, not tired, just, oozy. No... burning. In my mind. Who were those other people?! I wanted to know so badly...! Oh... why did I feel this way? I normally wouldn't care. Maybe because I now have the opportunity to see. All I had to do was walk past... just to see. A sort glance. I could use the excuse of using the restroom...

No. No. I would stay. I didn't need to know. Who cares? At least it wasn't some screaming kid kicking my seat and going in their pants.

I let my eyes close. I wasn't sleeping or dozing off. I was praying. Praying to God that Diana would be mine. Praying that she was happy. That I could find her. That she would want to see me. I wanted to see her so badly. Maybe that was why I burned. For Diana. I sighed.

"E-rik..." a voice rang in. A male voice. Who... who knew my name? "E-rik..."

"God?" I held my hands up in the air. I knew it wasn't, but I still did it. I didn't know why.

The male laughed.

"Dude... what are you doing?" Erole woke up, "are you being called to Hell? Asking for forgiveness?" he sat up.

The male laughed again. Why... what... no...

"Who is that? Mr. Mumbles?" Erole stood up, and I grabbed his shirt to pull him down.

The male laughed harder. "You look so ugly, but you are so funny..."

"Why thank... you?" Erole smiled, then frowned at the shot/compliment.

"Do you think you are addressing Erik?" I said rather loudly so that he could hear me, "because the idiot you see is not he."

"Well then who is he? He looks a lot like him."

"He is me... but he is my other- wait. Who are you? Why am I talking to you?"

Silence. Erole sat.

"Who did you see?" I whispered in his ear.

"No one. I saw nobody... air. Mr. Air."

"I asked," my smile dissipated, "who are you, monsieur?"

"No one that you need to know of..."

This was creepy. "How do you know my name? Why do you hide your identity?"

"Why do you hide your face? Your... clone... seems very confident for his face."

"Well, he is also a casino owner who gambles for a living."

"Who are you talking to, Erik...?" Genevieve's eyes opened and she yawned.

"Mr. Mumbles."

"Oh... the other family. Or is it only a man?" she spoke quietly.

"Oh, my wife and child are here. My wife is asking the assistance a question in the main class, and my son is sleeping in the given bedrooms. I also hear that your clone was asleep, and whoever that woman is..."

"Mr. Mumbles... interesting name..." Genevieve stood, mimicking Erole, after she fixed her hair.

"Well, it is not my real name, of course..."

"If I may ask, what is your real name, sir?"

"You may not ask, madame... moiselle?"

"Yes, mademoiselle..." she sat down awkwardly and shot me a look of confusion. I shrugged.

"Well, I have met everyone but you, Erik."

"How does he-"

"I don't know..." we whispered.

"I don't want to stand."

"Are you shy?"

"You do not show yourself, I do not show myself."

"How will you know if I show myself if you do not look up?"

"You know what? Stand. I want to see you."

"I want to see you."

"Stalker..." Erole butted in.

"HA! Do you see your clone, Mr. Casino? He stalked an eighteen year old!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" I stood in the aisle. I looked in the seats. No one. Anywhere. What the...

He laughed. Erole sunk in his chair. Genevieve stood up with me and tugged on my shirt. She jerked her head towards a seat in front of us. Well, some seat in front of us.

I stepped forward, skimming the empty seats. "I want to know how you know everything..."

And I saw him. A man... in a black cloak and hood. Like, a cult cloak. He was a strange man...

"I know all, mystery man..." he stood. I could not see his face, only a black hole.

"I'm the mystery man?" I poked his chest, Erole following close behind me. Genevieve sat in a seat behind me.

"Well, I guess to you, I am... but I am so normal, it's not even funny."

"How do you even know about..."

"Miss. Daae?"

I looked at where his eyes would be. My teeth clenched. "Yes."

I heard him laugh. "I can tell you... that I am who you think I am."

"I have no idea who you are."

"Then I am no one."

"You talk in riddles, Mr. Mumbles."

"Yes."

Silence. I stepped closer to him. All was still until I hurried to grab the end of his hood. He hurried to grab the edge of my mask.

"I dare you" I challenged, "you pull, I pull."

"Oh, I've seen you're face already. Your clone has the same thing, but his indents. Yours extends outwards."

Silence as I tugged on his cloak. He tugged on my mask.

"Go ahead, Phantom. Please." I heard a smile in his voice.

He was so creepy. He was able to send shivers down my spine. Not many can do that. And the fact that he had a wife and a child... how? He wore a black cloak. Freak. A freak calling a fellow freak out.

He pulled off my mask. I didn't expect it, so it took me a little after his pulling when I pulled.

And I literally fell to the ground at the sight.


	16. Betray The Beauty And The Beast

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

I haven't had any comments in close to a month. I feel disappointed... so... want to help me? I won't beg, just please consider it. As a young writer, those little cretiques help a lot. Even a litttle thing brings warmth into my wittle iddy bitty heart. :)

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"Oh... oh m-my God!" I leaned on the chair to balance myself as I regained balance.

"Hello, Erik..." he offered a bony hand to help me up.

He was so... ugly. His face was just... ugh.

I refused his hand, but instead fell into the chair in shock once I regained my stature.

"Who is that?" Genevieve put her hand on my chest as I stared at the smiling man, hands behind his back.

"Pht, easy one..." Erole rolled his eyes and stood, looking confident, "that is... well... er... I don't know. But he looks funny..."

He laughed with air through his nose. "Thank you, clone."

"Hey, Erik is the clone."

"Erik is the Phantom, yes?" he put on hand on his hip.

"Yes... but I was first... by a whole TWO, COUNT 'EM, TWO MINUTES!"

"Ah... but who is mentally disturbed beyond hope...?" the man looked at me and I glared back.

"Look," Genevieve stood, angry, "you can call Erole a clone, and you can call Erik Phantom. But you can not call Erik mentally disturbed beyond hope. You are the mentally disturbed one, fool."

He made a low, short laugh and raised his eyebrows. He smiled. "Whoa... I don't know who you are, but I know that you know nothing of Phantom if you refuse that fact."

She stepped towards him. She grabbed his cloak on the chest and pulled his face towards her face. "There is one main word to describe Erik. And one to describe you."

"And what is Erik's word?"

"Normal."  
Both him and I scoffed. "And my word?"

She kicked him in the shin and his face twisted.

"Loser."

"Ah. And why?"

"Because I know who you are."

"Really?"

"Yes. I psyche-ified you. I know all, fool."

He looked at me and laughed. "Psyche-ified? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well," I stood, "she knows all about a complicated idiot like me. I can't imagine what she knows about you..."

"Really? And how do you do that?"

She grabbed and positioned his head so she stared into his eyes. Her emotions changed from happy, to hilarious, to angry or contemplating.

"What did you find?" he smiled as she released his head. I smiled when she looked at me.

"Raoul De Chagney. Born January fourteenth, 1910. At Sherman hospital, room 14 to Jennifer and Pierre Vinron. Father died or abandoned family at age two. At age five, mother found new husband, Ferry De Chagney. Soon had blood child as step brother, Fillip. At age fifteen, moved out of home and owned an apartment on Main Street in Paris. Fillip moved away at age twenty, after finishing college. Location unknown. Fell in love with Christine Daae before moving out at age seven, stayed friends with her until age eleven, when Christine moved away. Location unknown. Fell in love once more when heard her sing many years later at age eighteen. Picked a very bad time, for Phantom loved her also. Then that whole thing went down. After Phantom gave her up, moved on to get married to Christine Daae, now De Chagney. Went on to buy a home in America. Algonquin, Illinois. Had one child, Frej De Chagney. Now age four. Two days ago, went back to Paris to visit Christine's ill parents an attend a different formal event. Event unknown. Going back to America on flight number 556. Met Phantom in a strange occurrence that happens once in a billion years!" she smiled and sat as is green eyes stared, "thank you."

"How did-" he stared at her and his mouth hung agate.

"No one knows. She has a PHD in psychology. Smart. Very."

"Ah..." he sat in his seat and blinked.

I didn't feel as if I should kill him. I didn't feel angry or homicidal. I felt... awkward. I hated this man. At least, that's what I thought. If I hated him as much as I thought, would I not be strangling him? Trying to intimidate him, at least? Genevieve seemed to scare him or shock him. For me. For Erole. The fact that Erole even existed creeped him out. But... why was he acting so calmly? Even I was afraid when Genevieve knew everything about me. He was much weaker... so why was he able to handle it?

The door opened and a little boy stepped through, holding his... place. Oh my. Erole smiled and Raoul looked concerned.

"What's the matter, Frej?" he stood and hurried over to the curly-haired boy.

"I- I" he looked at me and hid himself with Raoul's body, then looked at him and whispered "I got stuck."

Erole slid back into his chair and covered his silently laughing mouth. He crouched and let his face twist in laughter. Genevieve looked like she was about to hit him, before I grabbed her and pulled her down.

"Oh, again, Frej?" Raoul bent his perfect-haired face towards him to whisper. But he neglected to realize that I had wolf ears.

"Sorry..." his voice was so innocent and little. He looked so much like his mother. Curly brown hair. His nose was so button-like just like hers. His eyes were his fathers, and his lips looked like a mixture of the both. Raoul's lips were thin, while Christine's were fuller. The boy's were a happy medium. His face's shape was longer. Both Christine and Raoul's face shape.

"Don't apologize. It's quite alright... let me help you..." and the man guided the boy through the door to the restroom.

We sat in silence until the door shut. Then Erole burst out laughing. We didn't need to ask why. But Erole was acting so insensitive. That poor child... even if he was the spawn of Raoul I must feel bad for him. The embarrassment, and the fact that it was painful... don't ask how I know that. Please.

"Erik!" she grabbed my arm, "that was him! The loser! Oh my... this is impossible! How unrealistic is this plot? Based on chance meetings... oh my. God... this is amazing! You are reunited with the man that took your woman away!"

"No... not took. Not won. Merely... was picked. Christine picked him. And I cannot blame her. I must face the fact that I, back then, was demented. If I was in her position... I would have picked Raoul too. He did not take her or win her. But was swept up in my evil wind and went with it in order to save her. From me. He deserved her. Do you know why?" I smiled and put my arm around her.

"Why?" she nuzzled into my body, completely forgetting about the unbelievable situation at hand.

"Because if I was with her, then I would not have you..." and I pecked her on the lower lip.

"DUDE! YOU JUST HAD THE CHANCE TO KILL THE IDIOT THAT GOT YOUR CHICK AND YOU LET HIM GO UNCLOG HIS KID'S ZIPPER? WHY? MAN, I WOULD HURT HIM SO BAD, YOU KNOW I WOULD!" Erole grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me up, interrupting our moment.

"I-I really don't know why I don't feel as if I hate him. I only feel... mystified" I said to him as I looked at his face.

It was then that I realized that Raoul had pulled my mask off. Why didn't he act afraid? Why did he feel confident enough to even approach me? Why... he had seen my face. One of the few people that have. I reached over and picked up the leather mask from the ground. I placed it on my face and smoothed my glued back hair.

"Why? Why do you not know why? You are the mean one. You almost killed him for the girl, and now you don't care. I know you got a new babe, but come on! Kick his a-"

"Erole! Stop! I... I know why you don't feel as if you hate or despise him. And it is funny really..." Genevieve stood like I did and blinked.

"I knew it. He's gay!" Erole smiled.

"EROLE!" Genevieve said rather loudly and feisty... Erole was defeated and he knew it. He sat in his chair.

"You aren't... gay..." she turned back to me from a sharp turn to glare at Erole.

"Well, that is marvelous news" I smiled.

She mimicked me and smiled a sweet, quick smile. "For both you and me... anyway, you are... over it. You don't care. If he wanted to, you could probably be friends. Christine... maybe. You realize that Raoul is not the bad guy. You realize that Christine is not the bad guy. You realize that _you _are not the bad guy. You find that there is no bad guy. Only decisions that cause distress in others' minds. No evil. Only confusion and impulse."

"How have I been able to realize that? I makes so much sense... but what? What has changed my attitude about everything?" I paced and she followed a few feet away.

"The realization was brought from me. Well, that is the most likely cause. Or you just finally grew up and found that you don't care. Who knows? So many possibilities. And with the attitude...

well, everything. Everything effects your mind. Good way or bad. In this case, a positive change. Perhaps it was brought upon me, Erole, Diana, Benny or anyone else that may be improving your life. That is, if we are improving your life."

"Oh, you are! Look at me! I am in public! Think about how big that is! I live in a hole! Now I am three thousand feet above my hole!" I smiled and grabbed her hand. Erole stepped over cautiously. I gave him a signal and he smiled with us.

"You can hold my hand too, fine..." he held his hand up jokingly. I rolled my eyes and laughed with Erole and Genevieve.

"So you said that if we both tried... then we could be friends?" I gently released her hand and placed it at her side.

"And if you accepted each other."

"Okay... this is an odd conversation in which I want no part of..." Erole put his hands up in a 'don't shoot' pose.

"SHUT UP EROLE!" Genevieve and I yelled in unison. He sat down and looked out the window in a rush.

The door opened and the little boy ran to sit in his seat. He waddled like a little child, for his legs had not grown into themselves yet. He was smiling as he took out a doodle pad and a pencil.

As Raoul stepped out, he no longer wore the black cloak, and held it in his arms. He threw it over a random seat and stepped towards me. He wore a white, frilly-collared shirt. Over it, a gray over coat and a vest. He looked like me with matching gray pants and black shiny shoes. He smiled a little, scared smile and held his hand at the level of his eyes, palm my way. I smiled, and that must have added some lubricant to the engine, because he loosened his tense body.

"Is he free?" I smiled a little wider.

"As a bird..." he smiled, showing his teeth just the slight.

Genevieve winked at me and sat next to Erole, also looking at the window.

"Do you feel awkward or scared?" I wanted to be blunt. I wanted to get to the point.

"A little of both. I am standing in front of the man who almost killed me, and the child of the woman that you almost killed me over is sitting a few seats in front of us."

"I can see why you would feel that way then..." I blinked four times at a rapid pace and smiled.

"You don't seem the same... you changed. You do something with your hair?" he crossed his hands in front of his abdomen.

Erole coughed rather loudly and we turned our heads. "GAY!" and he coughed again, putting his fist in front of his mouth.

"Shut up with the homosexual jokes, eh?" I glared and he smiled.

"Homosexual jokes...?"Raoul's eyes searched the room.

"I didn't offend you, did I?" Erole looked sympathetic, but spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Raoul looked shocked. "I'-I'm not gay. I have a wife and a child."

"Cover up" Erole didn't smile but sounded as if he was telling a joke.

"EROLE! SH!" I air-flicked him. He did it back. He both curled our upper lip at each other and jerked our heads to the left and right.

"Well he is interesting..." he said to me. Or himself...

"Perhaps I should introduce you to everyone. So much has happened..." I stepped by them, and they stood. Genevieve stood next to Erole on his left.

"This is..." I raised my eyebrow at her. _What name?_

She winked her left eye with a small smile.

"Genevieve Thomas..." I said confidently. After seeing his confused face, I knew I should explain, "she has... two names. So... I needed to know which one you should know" I said in chunks.

He blinked, smiled and shook her hand.

"I apologize for acting so rudely before. From what... Erik told me..." she looked at me and I nudged away, "I assumed the worst."

"Don't worry, miss!" the boy looked up at her, "Momma and Dada don't like funtum much either."

Erole laughed. "Yeah, don't worry. No one really does..."

Raoul pursed his lips and nudged away from me. I smiled when he raised his eyebrows and gave the boy a sarcastic thumbs up. I laughed when the boy smiled and gave a thumbs up back.

"So we have come to the conclusion that we both say bad things about each other to other people" I smiled and put my hand where his shoulder blades are.

He tensed and his eyes widened.

"Sorry..." I quickly moved my hand to my side.

"Ah..." he loosened and the boy moved back to his doodles. The pencil made a loud scratchy noise as he scribbled.

"Come," I didn't touch him but hinted him to follow, "I will show you the town idiot."

Raoul smiled when I guided him in front of Erole. "This is Erole De Graff, my brother. I found him only recently."

"Yeah. And that is MR. Town Idiot to you..." he smiled awkwardly as Raoul chuckled at the comment.

Erole held out his fist. Raoul looked at me confusingly and I looked at Erole with eyes half staff.

He rolled his eyes and opened the fist into proper hand shake form. Raoul grabbed it and his eye twitched.

When Erole released, Raoul flapped his hand just the slight. This was what Erole did when I attempted to 'fist force' him.

"Strong grip..." Raoul let his fingers open and close at his side.

"Yeah... and... I guess I'm sorry for the stupid things I say. In fact, I apologize in advance for the stupid stuff I will say."

"He's the funny man..." I added. The 'wants to be funny man', more like it.

"I can see..." Raoul stepped behind me, still looking at Erole.

He gestured for the boy to drop his drawing things. He picked the boy up from the hollow of his arms and then held him against his chest, his hand on his rump. He walked over to me and the body seemed to be gripping his father's shirt.

"This is my son, Frej De Chagney" he smiled, the boy kneeling away from me on his chest, "Frej... say hello..." he mumbled to him.

The boy cautiously looked over his shoulder to have one eye glance at me. "Hewwo..." his little voice was muffled because he turned his face back to his father's shirt.

"Don't worry, he is shy with everyone..." he walked back over to the seat and the boy scampered into the seat, immediately starting to doodle once more.

"So he isn't shy only with psychopathic murderers...?" Erole smiled.

"Mine is shy too... it gets hard to introduce them to people, eh?" I smiled and ignored Erole's stupid comment. I wished he would just shut up.

"You have a child? That was unexpected of you..." his green eyes scanned me then looked into my eyes. He must've ignored Erole too.

"Not blood related... but I adopted her. Her mother and father were killed and she was injured, so I took her in" I smiled proudly and crossed my arms on my chest.

"Yeah, you killed her dad and made the glass that punctured her skin..." Erole added to himself. But we could hear him.

"Go away Erole!" I turned my head and he backed down.

"How did you meet... him?" Raoul pointed to Erole nonchalantly and his eyebrows twitched upward.

"I... er..." should I tell him of the illegal documents...? "he owns a casino... and..."

"You gamble? You are just... completely different than what I expected..." Raoul crossed his arms like me.

"No... um... Genevieve used to, but was challenged by her old rival to a game of poker... and I went with. The card dealer was Erole... and we found each other" I scanned the room as I told my story.

"Does he... hide his face? Otherwise you would people would be too scared to play with him..." Raoul looked at Erole. He leaned closer to me as he spoke quietly. I didn't know whether or not Erole heard him.

"As a matter of fact..." Erole stepped in the isle and leaned over to his seat when he reached it, "I wear a hat!" and he flipped the black hat with massive wings on his head with a twirl of the fingers. He bent the lips down and the only thing you could see was his confident smile, "hides the face, hides the hair. But I like my face, so I don't wear it outside of the casino." I guess he did hear him.

"Interesting..." Raoul looked contemplated and uncrossed his arms.

Erole took off the hat and stored it in his backpack that he took along. "I was raised to not fear deformed people. I needed to not fear my father, you know?"

"Your... your father is deformed?"

"From a fire, not from birth like us ugly fools..." Erole looked at me and smiled. So did I.

How was I comfortable with someone calling me ugly? I never had been before... maybe it was because of how he said it. Like a joke. Hm...

"I thought that... you were dead... and your father was also deceased..." he pointed to Erole... then looked at me again when his hand fell back to his side.

"So did I..." I blinked at him.

"I thought he was dead!" Erole smiled and stood once more.

"I hate to say this," Raoul sat on a random seat next to him, "but you must be a very confused man."

"Ah... so... why are dressed like me? Dark and depressing..." He moved to the next seat to that I could sit in the seat closest to the aisle.

"We went to a funeral," he frowned, "for my father."

"Well, isn't that ironic!" Erole's head peered over the seat ahead of us.

"Shut up and go away Erole..." I pushed his face with my palm and he laughed when he fell to back into the seat.

"Anyway," I cautiously put my hand on his shoulder, being careful not so scare him again, "I'm sorry for your loss..."

"He was never there anyway. We raised ourselves... with a little help from mom every once and a while. It wasn't that big of a deal, but Christine over exaggerated everything. She is a pain sometimes, you know?" he didn't appear to be afraid for he did not cringe.

"No," I smiled, "I wouldn't know anything about married life. Still haven't tied the knot..."

"Oh! I figured that you and Genevieve..." he looked at me with a fearfully apologetic look. He was afraid that I would smash and blow up. Kind of like smashing atoms. BOOM!

"No. Just getting to know each other. We may get married in the future, but you never know what the future holds" I put my hand on my leg and interlocked it with the fingers of my other hand.

"What about kids? They are a great joy..." he glanced over to the boy who spoke to himself, telling a story. As he drew, he softly spoke of dragons and knights. What an imaginative little boy.

"Maybe. It all depends on what she wants."

"Oh, make up your own mind on that issue. Just doing what she wants will lead to high expectations of obedience. And let's face it, we are afraid of making our wives angry or disappointing them. So... we are swept up into doing whatever she wants..." Raoul put his hand on my shoulder this time, gripping softly.

"You seem to know a lot about that" I smiled and he pursed his lips.

"Well, when we wed- I'm sorry, can I talk about her with you?" Raoul put on that wary/ apologetic look.

"Please do. I- I really don't care about her anymore... it _has _been a year, no?" I smiled and he looked relieved. I could see why he was so cautious about everything that he said. I almost tried to kill him. I didn't even know what I would do if he upset me. I probably wouldn't do anything... just try to hide my anger. Because I didn't want to scare him away. This was amazing... just finding him like this. This never happened to anyone else. Then again... no one else finds their long lost brother on a single glitch either. Ah, my life was totally unrealistic.

"Amazing. You almost kill me over her, then it takes you only a year to recuperate... I couldn't have done it that fast."

"I would have not gotten over anything if Diana and Genevieve hadn't come into my life..."

"Diana?"

"Oh. My daughter that I am going to America for. You know that she was injured and that I helped her from Erole's comments..." I glared at the seat's back facing me. I heard a chuckle from behind it.

"Ah. I must say that I am sorry for judging you. I... didn't even figure to see you here. I discovered that it was you when you first walked in and I saw the mask," he chuckled, "I thought that I would have to give Christine CPR, she was so stunned. Then I saw Erole and I laughed because I could hear him. He sounded like you, exactly, yet he joked far too much. When he responded to the pilot, both Christine and I laughed, but kept it hidden."

Erole laughed and I saw him get into the isle to move by the reading Genevieve.

"Christine fled the room, for obvious reason, but made the excuse that she needed to ask the help a question. That black cloak is hers, it was her father's, but he died, as you know. She brought it along to show her ill mother that she had it through all these years." He tilted his head towards the black cloak that hung over a seat's back.

"Ah." I was at a loss for words. What do I say to that? And... would Christine come back? Did... did I want to see her? Yes. No. Maybe. YES! NO! Ah! I was afraid that I would... scare her. I didn't want to. And... she would scare me. Yes, the Phantom Of The Opera is scared if a woman. Because I was afraid of rejection. And she was the essence of rejection in my life. I would cower and shake, as if a monster stood before me. As if I stood before me.

Then I saw Erole's face pop up a few seats ahead. He smiled, chuckling with his mouth closed, making an odd choking sound. Genevieve followed his movements, a hand clapped over her mouth.

"Da... na.... da.... na danadandanadanadana DAAAAAAAAAAA!" he sung the Jaws theme and Genevieve laughed louder, eyes clasped closed.

"What?" Raoul smiled at their reaction of nothing.

"Dude... did you say that that one Christine girl that brown eyes? Brown curly hair?" Erole smiled, still laughing.

"Yes..." Raoul answered after I shrugged. I could barely remember what she looked like. I could remember her if I tried hard, but Raoul had been with her for a while.

They laughed harder.

"WHAT?" I glared at Erole, but loosened my gaze at Genevieve.

"D-D-" he laughed in between words, "DUDE WITH THE- T-THE BLONDE GIRL HAIR! LOOK UP!" he let his head hang and then lifted it again to speak to me, "Erik... don't move your head until I tell you to!"

I kept my head down, glaring at them angrily an confusingly, while Raoul looked up.

He screamed a surprised groan. He hopped up out of the seat and stood. I began to move my head, but remembered Erole's instructions. I normally wouldn't listen, because who was he to tell me what to do, but today I felt... generous. And gentle, considering that Raoul was standing next to me, shocked. The space between my legs and the seat ahead if us was great enough for Raoul to step into the isle and stare at whatever scared him.

"Sh..." I heard someone shush Raoul. Probably the thing behind us.

Raoul stared at it, eyes half staff, lips pursed.

"Dude, look up."

And I did. I also gasped. Two brown eyes staring at me. Her hands cupped over the edge of the seat and her hair fell behind her shoulders. I stood, her eyes following, but nothing else.

"Christine..." Raoul rolled his eyes, "you look like an idiot."

"Sh... he may see you..." she still shifted her eyes from me to Raoul. Her voice was quiet as she whispered in a fearful tone.

"Noooo..." Erole laughed and stared sarcastically.

"Sh... there's another one, too... he made two of himself to track us down..." she widened her eyes and one twitched.

Had she gone mad? Crazy? Ill?

"Christine! Stop that!" Raoul glared now.

"Sh... there is that one blonde girl. She saw me before... she may have a connection with him..." she looked at the peering Genevieve who stared in disbelief back.

Raoul stepped angrily to Christine, whose eyes flashed over to Raoul for a millisecond, then back to me. Raoul grabbed something of hers and pulled her into the isle. He grabbed her sleeve, discovered. She pulled away, struggling with Raoul to get back down. She wore a white dress with puffy sleeves. A blue half-overcoat. It was cut at mid abdomen.

"Christine!" I yelled quietly. She stopped moving and stared at me, wide-eyed.

"Sh..." she looked at Raoul, moving her free hand to her lips.

"I've already seen him, Christine. He isn't a ghost... and neither are you..." I smiled. She didn't blink or move. Finger still at her lips.

"He's alright, Christine. Relax. You are having another spazz attack... he won't hurt us..." he looked at me and made a little swirl with his index finger around his ear.

"She has spazz attacks...?" Erole whispered to Genevieve who made a tiny 'uh-huh' in disbelief.

She inhaled and exhaled as Raoul wrapped his arm around her. I stood, blinking, feeling awkward. Raoul looked at me and looked at me, eyebrows bent upwards. "Ever since her therapist said that her real father's spirit was haunting the house and trying to kill me, she has had these little paranoia attacks when she gets frightened. Even if the fright has nothing to do with her father..." he brushed the hair out of her face and she closed her eyes.

"He's dead... not you. He's dead... not you..." she repeated as Raoul set her down in the seat behind me.

He blinked at me and smiled. "She'll be fine in a minute or two. She may be able to carry on a normal conversation... but who knows with her?" he stepped next to my nervous face.

Gosh, she changed.

"Does this... have anything to do with me?" I nodded my head towards Christine, who still mumbled to herself.

"Well, she went to a therapist because of her little ordeal with you. One hundred francs an hour... anyway, that therapist needs some help. She made her worse than what she-" he smiled, then he bit his tongue at the last part, "she- er- convinced her that her father hated me. She was skitzo before, now she is frantic. When we return home, I will recommend her to someone else. I may sue that other one..."

"So I strung her out?" I tried to smile, but only a twitch of the sides emerged. _Great. I made her psycho._

"Just a little..." he smiled genuinely, "she is still afraid of candles."

"Then how does she light a room?" I looked at her, who was still breathing slowly. In, out. In, out.

"We have to hide them in lanterns..." he seemed to look at my reaction and notice that I was not happy. Not angry. Not aggravated. But upset. Sad. Depressed. I made her crazy and I took full blame.

"How does the kid handle it?" I said quietly to him, listening to his own little stories.

"He doesn't know... Christine acts so normally around him. She tries so hard."

Then there was a soft wheezing behind us. I looked, worried as her eyes squinted and she clenched her fists and twisted her face.

"Cover your ears" he stood, looking at the wheezing Christine.

I did.

Christine huddled into Raoul's chest, face buried in his shirt. His arms wrapped around her body and he closed his eyes.

A loud, muffled, low scream filled my covered ears. Erole and Genevieve covered theirs at the sound. Raoul opened his eyes and his chin became bumpy. He wasn't about to cry, but he was concerned.

I stared at Christine. I had a horrible pit in my gut of guilt, sadness, pity, and hate of myself burning my insides. This was... horrible. Was she screaming, or crying?

One of the help came from the door, looking at her and began to approach her. I cleared my throat to get her attention. She looked at me, eyes wide, and I glared at her. I added that venom into it, and she slowly backed away, back into the room behind the door. It was easier to add the venom with these feelings controlling me.

Christine departed from Raoul, who opened his arms to let her escape. I glanced over at Erole and Genevieve, whose faces were twisted in pity and disbelief. They were staring, Genevieve's mouth closed with concern, while Erole's hung open with amazement. I wish they would just sit down and ignore the situation, like me. I stared at them, while they stared at her.

Ugh...

She began to breathe slowly in a repeated fashion once more. She collapsed against Raoul once more and Raoul looked at me who now looked at him since the scene was apparently over. We let our hands drop from the sides of our faces.

Christine fell into the chair now. Raoul gently stroked her hair, pushing it away from her sweaty forehead. Her eyes closed and Raoul stood slowly, gazing at her cautiously. He stepped over to me, who stared at the seat on front of me. At Raoul's movement, the idiots occupying it sat down quickly.

"I- I'm sorry" he still stood as I looked at him, the tears welling in my eyes at what just happened. It wasn't the oddness of it... it was that it was my fault.

"Don't say that," I stood, now a tear falling down my face, "I'm sorry for causing it." I strode past the now open-mouthed Raoul. I heard Christine moan before I shut the door into middle class. The people stared as rushed down the isle. I didn't know where I would go, I just needed to get away from there. Before I caused anything else to happen.

After many assistance asked me what was wrong, I turned to one final one, tears falling, streaming, and said nothing. No one else asked as I reached low class. There were many empty seats, for no one was there. This plane was expensive, even for lowest class. There wouldn't be anyone here...

I flung myself over and leaned my head on one of the seat's head rests. I closed my eyes and wiped away the tears. I fought more from falling. This horrible feeling of guilt was worse than the moment when she actually left me. The reaction was more painful than the cause.

Someone would come after me to comfort me. I knew it. But I didn't know whether or not i wanted anyone here. I wanted to be alone, yet I wanted someone there. I was contradicting myself, and I hated myself for it. More than I already hated myself. If I hadn't gone berserk about Raoul and Christine, then she would not have paranoia attacks. She would be happy... but no. I had to be bad. I _was_ the bad guy. I was the evil witch giving Snow White the poison apple. There was a bad guy in this story, and it was me. This was on my shoulders, not the therapist's. I let my head fall into my hands. What was wrong with me? Oh, why was I asking that? I knew what was wrong with me... I was horrible, mean and cruel. I ruined worlds... including my own. This mask... it hides nothing. You could see how ugly I am just by the way I acted.

"Phantom?"

I didn't let my eyes look up to see her. I didn't want to. Ever. She could leave now. Before she was hurt. At all.

I felt her hand cautiously touch my back. I wouldn't feel it at all if I wasn't extremely on edge. I was still and stiff, not blinking or moving. I couldn't move... just to keep things safe.

"Ph-phantom?" she sat next to me and her hand was now fully, confidently on my back. She had long nails.

I looked her way, not seeing anything because my hands still covered my face. I had taken my mask off somewhere along the line. I couldn't remember where or when I had, but I did.

"Are you crying...?" her voice was quiet and tedious.

"That all depends on what you think I am doing..." I closed my throat off so no more tears could fall. It burned and I felt my heartbeat in my head.

"I don't know what you are doing."

"So I guess I don't know what I am doing."

She giggled softly. "You are turning all psychological on me. Like your wife."

"She isn't my wife. We are still getting to know each other..." I smiled at the thought of our marriage. It wasn't noticeable because I was smiling only in my mind. I laughed and danced out of anticipation and joy in my head. It made me feel a little better.

"Ah... still, you seem to have decided upon the right woman. She seems to..." she giggled quietly to match her volume, "really love you. _Really, really _love you."

"Why do you exaggerate?" my eyes found themselves looking at her, who smiled with a genuine smile of apology. Why was she apologizing? Well, with her eyes.

"Let's just say that she... stood up for you."

"Oh God... what did she do? Oh, I can just see her now..." I blushed at the thought. Who did she yell at? She was so upset at whatever happened when I was upset. When I cried, she died, she had told me one night as she wanted to stay up with me. She had failed, of course. She was normal and had regular sleeping habits.

"Just... helped me..." she blinked two times, "what did you think she would do?"

"Yell."

"Well, she did that too."

I smiled as my hands fell to my sides. "At who?"

"Raoul. But not yell, just stern talking to."

"What did she say?"

"That I am a soft spot. The... attacks that I suffer from... hit you in such a way that the guilt of thinking that you caused it made you shut down. She is a smart one... usually no one can snap me out of these things that quickly. I have to scream... to let it out. And can I say one thing?"

"Mm..." I frowned at what she said. I knew why.

"None of this has anything to do with you. Raoul is an idiot because he is still scared of you. All of this was brought upon my therapist."

"And why did you go to a professional? Because of me."

"No... because of Raoul's father's death. He died long before we went to the funeral, but was never found. They found his body frozen under a thick layer of ice. What made me... flipped... was the thought of how someone just stuffed his body under ice and no one ever discovered it. Raoul had had some unfortunate events happen to him, his mouse dieing, things falling on him, etcetera. I went to a therapist shortly after, and what she said, combined with what had happened to his father, made me paranoid. I- I have to admit, I was a little scared after our ordeal, but I haven't worried about anything involving you for quite some time. I think about you, but I do not fear you. Raoul, on the other hand... is terrified. It makes me wonder how he sat and talked with you, with Erole and Genevieve watching. Very odd."

He... was still scared of me? But he had just opened up to me about his life with Christine and Frej. "How do you know their names?" I looked at her, then scanned the room for my mask.

"Genevieve introduced me. After I calmed down, of course. And... if you are looking for this," she held out my mask from the hand that was behind her back, "one of the staff handed it to me. They found it in the aisle in middle class."

So that was when I had torn it off. "Thank you." I placed it on my face and she removed the hand that was on my back.

"You don't need it. After speaking to Erole, for just five minutes, I find no fear in the face. He has tainted my memory. He is so funny!" she smiled and placed her hand on my mask, "what is the mask made of, anyway? It feel different..."

"My porcelain one broke... so I made a hard leather mask."

"I see..." her long finger pulled the mask off once more and she placed it in her lap. She then touched my deformed side... with an odd look on her face.

What was she doing? Our eyes just stared into one another's. Her brown, half closed ones, with my multi-colored, wide ones.

"It really isn't that bad, Ph- Erik."

I closed my eyes. Then I opened them once more after she put her other hand on my chest and moved closer to me only moments later.

"I know." I smiled and my wide eyes settled into a comfortable position.

"Oh do you?" she smiled a small smile, starting to depart from her odd gaze.

"You have been gone for a year. I feel much more confident about myself. I am a mile in the air, for God's sake. I haven't been in public for... years."

"Hm..." she leaned closer to me and I leaned away. What the- AAHH! WHAT THE HELL!? OH MY- AHHH!! WHOA! I growled a low scream and pulled myself away from her.

What was she DOING!?

Her hand on my neck kept me in place. My eyes were now wide again. She closed hers and let her fingers play with my shirt.

My breathing softened and my pulling softened. My eyes were now at normal opening position.

NO! This was... Christine! Christine Daae! The woman who left me, who killed me inside and left me to die in the dust.

I was Genevieve's now. There is no exception for... kissing another woman! Ever! Especially the woman that deserted me for another man.

Oh, but this was Christine! Christine Daae! The woman whom I loved, and I almost killed Raoul over. I was connected with her. Forever? Who knows.

Now _I _know. I know that my connection was still there. I thought the connection died. No. No, not as she kissed. me. _She _kissed _me. _She went for me! She was married to Raoul, and now she wanted me! Or... was she just playing with me?

My eyes closed and I stopped fussing. She wrapped both of her arms around me, who kissed her back. Our lips moved in sync, as if thy were made for each other. Were they? Or were mine made fore Genevieve, Christine's for Raoul? I didn't know... all I knew was that... I was kissing her. Passionately.

I broke from her and we both opened our eyes. Mine were soft and caring at first. Hers gazed into mine softly and her hand touched my face once more. Then I closed my agate mouth and grabbed her wrist. I pushed it away and put it in her lap, rather hard, I might add. I looked at her, whose eyebrows bent upward and she looked confused. I added the same venom that I can make into my eyes. She moved back and I released her wrist.

"Erik? What..." she trailed off as I stood. She still sat and clasped her hands and tensed. She looked at me as I stared down upon her. My lips pursed, my gaze frightening, I shook my head slowly. To the left, to the right. Then her head followed my movements as I stepped in front of her and opened the door to middle class. It shut as I heard her call my name. I ignored it and wiped my tainted lips with the back of my hand. There was no lipstick or gloss, but I tried to wipe away the unfaithfulness. The deception. The two-faced lies. It wouldn't come off. It never would.

What would I do? Do I tell Raoul? Do I storm in and yell, telling of what happened? No... I couldn't do that. Not telling Raoul. But... Genevieve? Erole? No, not Erole. He would tell everyone. Genevieve? If this bothered me... then... I would have to. If it started to affect our relationship, then I would have to. But until then... this would remain a secret. I would have to tell Christine not to tell. She kissed me. She would have to tell Raoul at her own time. I would make sure that she did not bend the truth and say that I kissed her, or else. You don't want to know what the 'or else' is.

I saw Genevieve stand to see me open the door slowly. Erole's eyes followed me, and Raoul followed Genevieve to approach me.

"What happened? Where's Christine?" Raoul looked over my shoulder, only to see the door close behind me.

"She wanted to stay behind to think over some things that we discussed..." my voice was low as I tried to fight off the anxiety and guilt.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Genevieve put her hand on my back, pulling herself closer to me. Her other hand was on my chest.

I put my left leg in front of her right. I put my right hand on her back, and my left on her neck. I gently bent her down and kissed her. I pressed my lips against her and closed my eyes with hers. She responded to my kiss and wrapped her arms around me. We kissed each other for five minutes, then I finally swayed her up and departed from her. We breathed heavily and stared at each other.

"Well that was different..." she smiled and left her arms wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Why did you do that?" Erole stared at me and Genevieve, neither of whom looking back that him.

"Christine told me of how you snapped her out of her trance. I wanted to thank you... she also told of how no one else had done that. You are one amazing, forgiving... amazing woman..." I smiled and still held onto her. To keep her close.

I really kissed her to feel her lips. To wash away Christine, and replace it with Genevieve again. To forgive my disgrace. Oh, I felt horrible for kissing Christine. But even worse because I accepted it and kissed her back. Because she melted me. My liquid heart had turned into blood that rushed through my veins.

"Oh... where is your mask?" Raoul blinked, probably feeling awkward.

"Christine has it... she found it when I took it off..." this was not a lie.

And I would be telling more lies than truth.

Raoul sat. Erole stared at me with an odd look.

Then Christine walked through the door, holding my mask with both hands. My eyes changing from Genevieve to Christine, adding a certain look that made her feel uncomfortable. She walked over to me, standing a safe distance away from me, and handed me the mask, outstretching her arms. I snatched it and she rushed over to Raoul. She huddled into him and Raoul looked at me.

"What... did you do?" his eyes widened.

"WAIT!" Erole yelled as I began to say something. He held his finger up. "Something went down here..."

Christine and I both tensed. Genevieve stared at me with a certain confusion that made the tension worse.

"I'm gonna do my version of that creepy thing that Blondie does. I have seen these looks before..." he switched his eyesight between Christine and I.

"What are you talking about? Nothing happened... we merely talked..." Christine smiled, "I am just cold... Raoul is very warm..."

"Sure... sure... no, I see it..." Erole smiled and looked at her, his hand on his chin.

"What are you-"

He burst out laughing. "YOU KISSED 'IM!"

Genevieve's mouth hung open and she gazed at Christine, who stared at Raoul with wide eyes.

"That... that is preposterous..." Christine laughed a breathy laugh.

"No it isn't! She was going you that look that says 'like, oh gosh, how am I gonna keep this way from people?' and he was giving you a look that said 'you... you little...' well, let's leave that out. It makes perfect sense! So much sense, it isn't even funny!" he laughed, "I'm so smart..."

Genevieve's mouth closed. She bit her lower lip and grabbed my shoulders. She made me look into her eyes. I was caught. Damn Erole.

"That isn't true..." her eyes were wide, yet her eyebrows bent upwards. Her mouth was open just the slight.

My eyebrows twitched upwards and the venom was released, replaced with pain, apology, sadness, and softness. My lower lip twitched.

Her mouth slowly opened wide in disbelief as a tear slid down my face, "right...?"

"I'm sorry..." and I just kept staring. What else do I say? I felt so horrible for betraying her. For ruining this relationship. And this time, it wasn't my fault. I would not take the blame for this.

Then... she slapped me. "Next time you want to change your life for the better, don't come running to me. Next time you want any psychological help, don't come c-c-crying into my lap!" she cried and pushed my chest.

"MD. T! STOP! Erole yelled and she stopped thrashing me around by the shirt. "Think about how I phrased it..."

She looked down, another tear falling. Her mouth closed and she shot a look to Christine. _YOU KISSED 'IM! _Oh... no...

"You..." she growled, "you... you... kissed... MY MAN?!" she yelled and stepped towards Christine.

"Christine..." Raoul looked at her painfully, "you... you kissed, that?" he pointed to me.

"That? That is MINE! MINE! I sleep with him, I live with him, I am on this plane, BY CHOICE! M.I.N.E!" she pointed to me, Christine nudging away from the stomping Genevieve.

"Christine... why?" Raoul shuddered at something. The pain? I didn't know.

"I- I never forgot him..." she looked back at him now, her gaze falling from Genevieve, fuming.

"Christine...?" he stopped holding her. His face twisted in betrayal. I knew this feeling. The pain had engulfed him. He felt so destroyed and felt like a rock fell on his, crushing his heart into billions of pieces.

"YOU!" Genevieve grabbed the blue overcoat and pulled her face towards hers, "HAVE NO RIGHT TOUCHING HIM... ANYWHERE! YOU... YOU... HUSSY!"

She slapped her across the face. Christine gasped and Raoul just sat there, face still twisted in the stab to the back.

"Genevieve!" I started to snap out of my trance of hatred of myself.

"You do not slap me, Blondie!" Christine pushed Genevieve with two hands on the chest. Genevieve stared back, mouth agate. Like I said, she had told me that when I cry, she dies. We feel the need to back up one another, as every relationship should be.

"He is mine, not yours, hussy..." she stepped up to Christine, chest stuck out, determined. She put one hand on her neck, and both Raoul and I gasped. Erole made a low, smile-in-his-voice chuckle.

"I was his first!"

Then Christine fell to the ground after her eyes widened and she yelped. Genevieve stood over her. "Erarorrim nerve, bitch."

Raoul crouched down to her side and lifted her up into him arms. Genevieve turned my way on the balls of her feet.

"And you, sir..." her eyes were vicious and the smile she had planted on didn't help her, "as Gandhi would say... ah whatever. I'm going to put this in simpler terms, so that a mindless, stupid man can understand." her voice was as vicious and articulated as her face.

Oh... I was scared now. I was out of my trance of depression and dismay, now to be replaced with wariness and fear. Raoul was right... we did all fear our wives. Well, my 'was wife'. I really did it this time, didn't I? Oh no... no. I did nothing! I do not deserve to get punished for Christine's actions. I was not on a playground in elementary school, blaming it on some other person. She did it. Not me. But... I did melt. I did accept her kiss. NO! That was because she stunned me so much, I was about to faint. When she kissed me, I felt ill. That was my blood falling from my brain. I almost did fall or faint... but didn't. This was Christine's fault. She could be punished, not me.

"You are an idiot, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. ha. ha. ha. HA!" she sung mockingly in an orchestral voice. She sung it over and over until she became close enough to me to put her finger on my chest and dig her nail into my skin. Long, long, sharp nails. Ah... She then grabbed my short-sleeved shirt and pulled me down. I stared back into her silent, angry eyes as I added a tad of venom into my stare. I would not get yelled at. I would stand up for myself, like a lonely child who beats up the bully at school.

"MD. T I thin-" Erole began to say softly to avoid interrupting the now silent, upset tone. That was the only way to describe the atmosphere, upset. Everyone was upset with someone else.

"YOU SHUT UP, EROLE!" she glared away from me to glare at Erole.

"No," I blinked as she looked back at me, "you shut up. I did nothing. She kissed me. I was only the target of the arrow. I refuse to be blamed for a game that I was only a pawn of. And you have no right to... do whatever you did to Christine... or take your anger out at Erole. He is only trying to help. Of course, if he hadn't brought anything up, none of this would have happened... still. If you want to glare and shout at someone, do it to Christine. Sure, I am pushing it off to her. But she deserves to take the blame for this, not me." I bent her fingers to twist them off of my shirt. Her face stayed angry, but had a hint of defeat thrown in somewhere. She dropped her own hand to her sides.

"_It's the eye of the tiger, the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of a rival.._." Erole sung to himself, yet looked at us.

"Erik..." the venom in her eyes died down and she still stared at me, who hovered over her.

Then we heard a laugh erupt behind Genevieve. We stared at Christine who was being held by Raoul, but laughed hysterically.

"You lie, you never changed..." she looked a me, "you think I would kiss you? I didn't want you then, what makes you think that anyone would believe that I went for you? HA!" she continued to laugh.

Genevieve stared at her. I... I wondered what she was thinking. She must be so confused. A smart woman trying to figure all of this out. But she needed to believe whatever she thought was right. And I was right. Christine lied to our faces. Of course Raoul would believe her, Erole would believe me because he saw that she kissed me somehow, but Genevieve? She was too logical to take sides based on personal opinion. She evaluated the situation before making any judgments or decisions.

And if I were her, I would find it more likely that I had kissed her. Was she smart enough to see... who was telling the truth.

"Erik..." she looked at me, eyebrows bent and blue eyes doleful.

And I listened to her response intently. I closed my eyes and sighed through my nose. I let my head hang and my bottom lip twitched.


	17. The Ceaser Salad Named Frodo

"Stupid woman..." she said, "you can't do anything right, now can you?" her laughter of disbelief was breathy as she stared at her.

"I'm not quite sure that I cannot make wise decisions..." she smiled a small twitch.

"HA! Think of it! Why would the woman who ran away from him kiss him?"

"Because you feel feelings for him. The desire never burns out. I would know. I know all, fool. The way you looked at the door when you calmed down to go talk to him... disgusting. I knew something would happen. I just didn't have the heart to go and stop it. Maybe you would realize that you are married to an amazing man, then stop. But you didn't. I realized that when Erik walked through that door and kissed me. The thing was... I knew it was you. I had my doubts of course, when Erik gave me that look and said he was sorry..." she looked at me, turning from the curly-haired woman who was now standing on her own.

"Pht... I gave no look as I left to see him..." she laughed, eyes mocking. Raoul had sat down after she recuperated.

The sigh that I sighed, was a sigh of relief. She believed me. MOI! YES! The question that remained now... how was Raoul?

I slowly stepped, listening to the women bicker, over to the seat where Raoul sat. His face was buried in his hands, legs crossed Indian style.

"Raoul?" I blinked and pursed my lips as he stared back at me, moving his face away from his hands to do so.

"Hello Erik..." he put his hands in his lap. He didn't appear to be crying, only hiding in sadness.

I sat in the seat next to him. "Do you mind?"

"No... Oh God... she kissed you..." he stared at me, his green eyes now starting to well with tears.

I didn't know what to say. How do I respond to that?

"If only you knew how I felt right now. Deserted in the dust to another man... depressed because you thought she loved you so dearly, just generally horrible..."

I stared at him and blinked. Then he looked at me and laughed a breathy laugh. "Well this is just a giant twist of fate, no? We've switched places."

"She didn't kiss me because she wants to be with me and leave you. The only person that will break your relationship apart is you. She kissed me to... show me. To show me that she was not over me. That I could go with her."

"Exactly."

"What, you think that I would give up Genevieve to Go with Christine? Never. No offense to her, but why would I want to go back to her? Did you see Genevieve's face? She understands me. She knows what it is like. I would never break this love that I feel for her because she will never think down upon me. Now why would I choose Christine over that?"

"You... you really are over her, aren't you?"

"He didn't seem to be over me when he kissed me _back!_" Christine must've been listening in on our conversation.

"You know what? I am tired of guessing what happened. Erik, come hither" Genevieve smiled at my childish cower, "don't worry, you aren't in trouble..."

I stood and carefully stepped towards her. She held my head in place and stared into my eyes. She was looking into my mind to see what happened.

As I stared I thought of one thing. She was so pretty...

"True," she released my head, "he did kiss you back. After thinking that the situation of escaping was hopeless because you held his head in place. With your left hand, to be exact. All the while he was kissing you, he felt sick. Probably because an ugly monster was sucking on his face... anyway, I know all now fool. I know what went through his mind, and yours. Just by talking to you, I know what you were thinking. You were trying to best me. To show Erik that you were much better. To show that you still appreciated him. That I was only as half good as you."

Christine laughed.

"And Erik..." she smiled, "thank you for thinking I'm pretty."

I blushed.

"And Christine..." she smiled at her and Christine's smirk was washed away.

Genevieve, still looking at Christine, wrapped her arm around my neck. She put the other on my back. She then tilted me down by the heels of my feet. She kissed me, pressing her lips against mine rather hotly. My eyes closed and our lips moved in sync.

Another close call. This could have killed our relationship. Everything. But... well, I didn't know whether or not it had dented our relationship at all. I couldn't know until she talked with me. We would work this out.

She broke apart from me and I smiled a dumb smile. That was certainly adventurous. Christine stared at us, her lower lip curving just the slight over her upper lip.

"He is mine. See?" she smiled and I stared at her with a caring touch, "mine..."

Raoul had stayed with us, while Genevieve made Christine sit in normal class. She pushed her to middle class. Forced.

I found Erole consoling Raoul as he rambled on and on. Oh, if only he had heard what I felt like. Now he was in my shoes.

But, I did feel it. I felt so... horrible for him. What confused me was why he didn't blow up at me. Why did he not scream and yell like I did when Christine left me for Raoul? People would listen to him. No one was there to listen to me. _No one would listen... _hm, that might make a great song that would be in the deleted scenes... Ah, I would think about that later.

Eventually Genevieve stepped in. Raoul listened to her and answered her simple yes or no questions. "Do you love her... does she love you... well, do you think she loves you... okay, why do you think that way..." etcetera, etcetera.

Erole stepped over to me slowly. My throat and chest felt groggy because of the tears. I knew my eyes were rimmed with red and I blinked to try to wash away the slight, uncomfortable burn. It didn't work.

"So..." he smiled a careful smile, "does this count as bonding?"

I smiled wide and he did the same. "No... but I am glad that you brought this up. This would have ruined our relationship slowly, because my conscious would have eaten our intimacy away."

"Intimacy...?" he raised an eyebrow and nudged my chest with his elbow.

"Not that intimacy! Just general... loving. It would die out because the guilt of kissing Christine would have disturbed me."

"I see. You know, I wish that I could feel that. That feeling of the drawing of my heart to another woman. Living in a casino, you don't see too many worthy women, you get me? That's why I liked MD. T. She was smart, beautiful..." he smiled and began to daze, "creative, sweet... interesting..." he looked at me, whose eyebrows were raised, "yours..."

I laughed a breathy laugh. "I still feel horrible about this. Poor Raoul, he must feel so horrible. That feeling that you get of pain, pity, hatred ad a broken heart does not mix well with the thoughts of 'what's wrong with me?' and 'it's all my fault'."

"Ah... maybe you should go over and talk to him."

"He probably hates me. I caused him to be like this. Think of me when I first was left. I hated Raoul just because he was picked over me."

"You should know more than anyone, man," he smiled and stepped backwards slowly, my eyes following his movements, "you can't judge a book by it's cover."

He walked out of the room and closed the door to middle class. Was he going to find Christine? Or just to give me the chance to speak to Raoul alone?

I sighed and closed my eyes. I did need to apologize. Even if it wasn't my fault, I had been a part of it. I stepped towards the cowering Raoul. His face was hidden in the black cloak that he had swiped to wipe his tears away. How symbolic. Genevieve looked up from her concerned gaze from Raoul to look at me. Her arm still rhythmically moved up and down on his bent back. I made my chin bumpy and scanned the scene before me. She smiled and stood.

"Where are you-you going?" Raoul's muffled voice softly spoke once he realized there was no hand on his back.

"Oh, I- I am going to get you a real tissue..." she shrugged and speed-walked away to follow Erole, who was long gone.

After a moment of silence, Raoul finally spoke. "Great... another one left."

"Hey, this one is mine..." I smiled slightly and sat next to him. He looked up and dropped the cloak. It fell to the ground with a soft thud.

"Erik... I'm sorry for Christine's behavior. She... she had no right to do any of that..."

"You are sorry? Raoul... Raoul... I'm sorry. I am sorry for causing all of this. For being on this plane and letting all of this unfold the way it did. You feel pain. And... I don't want... friends to be in pain."

He looked at me fully and sniffed. "F-Friend?"

"I figured that if all of this blew over, if everyone just forgot about it, then we could be... acquaintances."

"That would be nice..."

He held his hand out to me after he dried it on his pants. He blinked and smiled. I did the same and shook his hand.  
"But... I'm not so sure that Christine and I can... overcome this obstacle. It's not like I didn't see it coming. She still sings that one song... _In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came. That voice which calls to me, and speaks my name..." _He trailed off as he sung the first duet that Christine and I had ever sang together. He let his eyes droop.

"Raoul... you know what to do?" I sighed a quick sigh after I finished speaking.

"Oh please. Genevieve is so sweet... she gets into the psychological part of it. It helps... but I need someone to give me some advise. And what better than a man who has felt the same?"

I smiled at his acceptance. "This may be hard to do. But you need to... forgive her. Like Genevieve said, the passion never does die. But it did for me. Because I had Genevieve to help rid of the memory... but also because... I forgave Christine. I forgot her. You can't forget her, Raoul. You have an amazing relationship with Christine. Please... please don't break it off."

His red eyes stared as his mouth hung agate. "How do you forgive the love of your life for willing to break it off with her partner?"

I pursed my lips and sighed through my nose. "You think about that for a moment."

And he stared at his feet as he thought. I pondered what he wondered. What he figured. I would find out in only moments.

"I don't know."

"Well then I guess I don't either. This is a decision that only you can make. How do you forgive anyone else for anything?"

"I usually sit down and talk with them and eventually they apologize. We sett-" he smiled and looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.

I smiled and patted him on the back lightly. "Do that same thing, just at a more advanced level. Connect. Have you ever really done that with her?"

"No. I was afraid to, for I thought she might be angry if I tried to talk about you. I never knew if she was ever over you. She had a therapist, I figured..."

"Ah, you think that she has a bigger connection with her therapist than you?" I raised my eyebrow and he frowned even worse.

"Well... she refuses to talk to me. About anything. Finances, Frej, jobs, anything. It is like... she is afraid of me. Like she doesn't want me there. I don't feel as if I belong, like there is a stranger sleeping next t me."

"Maybe you should fix that..."

"How do I fix it if she won't talk to me?"

"You must..." I sighed, deep in thought, "um... er..."

"Try to go to therapy with her. Chances are, being with someone who makes her feel openly, will allow you to talk freely too. Maybe she will listen, and there you go" Genevieve leaned on one of the seats, also thinking and smirking.

Raoul stood, staring at Genevieve. His eyes soft and a small smile planted on his lips, he slowly approached her. "You are too smart for a woman."

"I get that a lot" she smiled back.

Raoul wrapped her arms around her and her body tensed. She slowly hugged him back and looked at me. I rolled my eyes and smiled as if to say 'go ahead...'.

Raoul departed and then gasped. He turned his head towards me and his wide eyes looked even greener.

"I'm so sorry... um... er, uh... I'll just go..." he nudged away from Genevieve who smiled a small pursed-lipped smile to me.

"Raoul... don't-" I smiled, revealing my teeth just the slight.

"That was wrong... with all of this going down... I shouldn't have done that..."

"Raoul," I stood and he jumped back. I closed my eyes for a moment then opened them while smiling, "it's alright. Honest. You were showing her how much you appreciate her. La De Da."

He stopped panicking, his finicky movements to move away from me halting. "Well... alright then..."

_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_)_

"'A' please," I tapped my foot as an old habit when I worked.

He gave a short 'A' and I thought of it for a minute. No, too high.

"'B' please," I smiled as it hit my ideal note. He really did have a good voice, just didn't use it to his full advantage.

"Thank you, Raoul..." I scribbled the next note onto my music and he watched me do such.

"What are you writing, anyway? Do I get a sneak preview of the musical genius?" he still gazed over my shoulder and smiled with me.

"You... you called me a musical genius..." I realized as I put my feather pen down, "do you really think that?"

"Well," he leaned away from my shoulder to his original position, "you are very good. As the both of them said... they could not do that. Nor could I."

"Well, Thank you then..." I blinked and he smirked. I always did appreciate compliments. I barely received any.

"What is so amazing is that it comes so easily to you. Like a poet and his poetry and an artist and his paintbrush combined. At the opera, the new managers claim that they hired someone to produce their operas. But I can tell yours from the others. Yours are better put together. More clean. As much as I fear you, I will always envy you for that ability."

I raised my eyebrows. Eyebrow. "You are my friend," I elongated the word 'friend', "for an hour, and you are already making me feel as if you have been my buddy for an eternity."

He began to chuckle. That chuckle turned into a laugh. I laughed at whatever he thought was funny nonchalantly.

"What?" I said in between breathy chuckles.

"You have a funky monkey word... HA!"

"What? What is a 'funky monkey word'?"

"A wo-word that sounds funny when you say it. No matter how you say it. You now have one!" he smiled and his eyes looked brighter than I had ever seen them. Happy. Joyous.

"And what would that be?" I pondered on what it could be. What would my... funky... monkey word be?

"Buddy!"

"Buddy?"

"You say it like 'budday'!"

"Well, I have an accent."

"Exactly! No matter how you say it, it will always sound odd." his laughter began to die down.

"Do you have a funky word?"

"Yes. Mine is homage."

"What?" what was a hoomage?"

"Exactly. The word 'homage'," he pronounced it right now, oh, homage, "always sounds odd when I say it, because of my French accent."

"Homage..." the lyrics to my song 'Music of the Night' filled my mind. _Where all must pay homage to music... music..._

"Oh..." we both laughed, and it was now dying down, "so, buddy..." he laughed harder.

I hated to think this, but he had a somewhat feminine laugh.

"What is so funny?" Erole's head popped up over the edge of the seat in front of us. He was sleeping, he must've been woken by our laughing.

"Oh, I'm sorry for waking you... but we just found a little joke..." I still grinned with Raoul and Erole smiled.

"You know, with what happened between you and him, I'm surprised that you can actually laugh at something. If you were the real Phantom that you write about in your journal, then you would be killing him" Erole's eyes sagged, but he smiled to stay alive.

"Well, we talked about- wait. How do you know what I write of in my journal? The last time I wrote in that thing was... gosh... when the Christine ordeal was going down. Right after... oh what was happening?" I glared at him, but lost my anger and frustration in memory and thought. What song had she sang last...?

"Right after the whole rooftop thing. When you left and went back down to your lair." Erole smiled, his eyes waking up a little, "you sissy. You write like a woman. Handwriting and all... ask Raoul about that one."

Raoul laughed a breathy laugh of sarcasm. "Thank you, clone."

"Ah, my pleasure, fop" and he turned to return to his slumber.

We heard the door close, but not open. We felt a single draft, then the short clunk had filled our ears. Raoul sighed to release the last of his chuckles. Her shoes clicked slightly with her heels and Frej, who sat next to us in the next row, stared at her. She turned to us, the dress short, the earrings shiny, the bracelets and the necklaces matching the metallic sheen.

"Well, hello" her voice was deep and melodic, yet high and young.

"Hello..." Raoul stared and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I hear you're the Vicomte..." she grinned a small, flirty smile and slowly sat in the empty seat next to me. She looked at Raoul with made up eyes. Very dark eyes... almost black.

"That is correct. And who would you be?" he raised his eyebrow a twitch.

Was he... considering himself single now? What was he? Was he going to stay with Christine? I hoped he would. They had an amazing relationship. Then again, I hadn't been there at home with them. I only figured. They could be fighting and regretting their choices.

"My name is Carmella Elisa Van Allen."

I turned my face towards the window. This was none of my business... Raoul could flirt, single or not.

"Why are you so shy, Shady?" her voice became clearer as she turned her head to me. The clouds looked so close. I wanted to reach my arm out and grab a big cotton ball of cloud. I would pull it in and play with it. Who knows what cloud feels like?

"He's quiet... as am I..." Raoul responded for me after I remained silent for a moment. I didn't want to talk to her. As I have said over and over, and I will say over and over, I am Genevieve's. Genevieve is mine.

"Well, I will have to break your shells, now won't I?" she laughed a low flirty giggle.

"You can go right ahead and take a crack at mine..." he flirted right back.

"OH! OH!" Erole flew his hand up in the air as if he were a school student, "I'll take that crack! You're girly, your hair looks like a woman's from the back, you're-"

"EROLE!" I glared up at him from my view from the clouds. Very clear blue sky...

He threw his hand down and cleared his throat.

"And who is that behind the seat in which I seek?" her eye-lined eyes looked up from her gaze to Raoul to the seat in front of her.

"The man in which you seek is Erole... and, I really can't rhyme at this time..." He chuckled and didn't reveal his face, only sat.

"Oh, you're a poet and you don't even know it..." she grinned with him and her red lips opened just the slight to reveal white, straight teeth.

"I see... and miss Carmella, I believe that you are wasting precious time with me when you could be spending some time with the rich desperate man on the rebound..."

"Oh really? Desperate...?" she turned her attention back to Raoul, who still stared at her. Interesting... how men are attracted to women such as these. At least, most men. I wasn't. I liked classier women. The ones who can make me melt, not with her looks, but with their heart. Like Genevieve. Mine.

"I wouldn't consider myself desperate... but I do have money. But... I am not single. I have a wife and I child," he turned to me, a small grin on his face, eyes soft, "and I love them both."

Oh good. He... he wanted to stay with her. If anything, I wished that he would stay with them. His son needed him. His wife needed him. One needed a father figure to look up to and to admire. The other needed someone to call their lover. The one to say that they would always be there to support them. And Raoul would fit the job. He always would.

"Well, alright then... you and your _wife,"_ she looked at me and smirked a devious smile, "can live happily. I guess I will see you some time. Here's my number," she handed him a small, pink slip of paper, "in case you decide to go down the other path."

"What... no!" she stood but Raoul protested, "I'm... I'm not... with him... my wife is in normal class, my son is over there..." he hinted towards the boy who still spoke to himself of race cars and the Indy 500. Frej had been stunned emotionally, yet after Genevieve soothed him and told him everything was fine, he went back to his imagination.

"Hm..." she looked at the boy who slammed his pencil against the paper making vrooming sounds, "you might want to get that kid therapy, he seems a little odd." Her voice changed from that low, yet sweet voice, to a more neutral sounding one.

And she turned to go back to middle class. She seemed unstable with her high heels mixed with the moving plane. She gripped the seats for balance, slowly reaching her objective to close the door behind her.

We heard hysterical laughing in front of us. I smiled with the laughter and Raoul cleared his throat.

"I knew you were gay!" the identical voice still laughed while he tried to fit in his stupid comment.

"Shut up, Erole..." I closed my eyes.

I felt bad. For the thought of thinking that he could be gay. He looked like it... then I laughed at my horrible thoughts. (** I LIKE TAKING THESE GOLDEN OPROTUNITES TO MAKE FUN OF RAOUL... ^.^)**

Eventually Erole stood and stood beside us in the aisle. He crossed his arms, able to stay stable in this wobbly plane.

"I have to pee. I'll be back to mock you" he turned for the door that led to a little room, then led to the washroom.

"That isn't exactly something you share with people, Erole..." I blinked and he kept his hand on the little white doorknob.

"Yeah, but I'm not talking to people... I'm talking to idiots," and he closed the door as he chuckled at our rolled eyes.

I wondered what we were above. The pilot had told us where we were periodically. But I was to absorbed in my trailing thoughts to listen. Especially when he had no communication skills. "M'kay" seemed to be his main word of communication. And he sounded like an idiot.

"How do you not kill him? One man mocked you and you pun jabbed him..." he was uncomfortable, and I could tell. Very tense. What, was he scared of me again? Scared of making me upset again? Or... was it the thought of his sexuality as he sat next to me making his uncomfortable? It better not be.

"I guess it is because he is my brother. Because it is a joke... I can take a joke as much as the next man..." I smiled as he relaxed.

We sat in silence, the occasional sound of someone talking the only noise. The help came by once in our little break, asking if me needed assistance. Raoul asked for a glass of water.

"Where do you think we are, Poppa?" the boy slipped his pencil, worn and short, in a little pack that lay by his feet. He zipped it up after the journal followed the pencil.

"I'm not sure, Frej... can you see out the window?" his father responded in a child-friendly tone.

He leaned to see out to the clouds. He drew up the curtain that covered the window. "I see white... and... water!" he smiled and Raoul looked at me to smile with him. Frej looked so... fascinated. By water...

"We're over the ocean..." he looked dazed, "we're flying over Atlantis! King Neptune is probably watching us right now!" And he kept talking of fictional undersea fish people. Of their castles and their kind. He had such an imagination... I hope he keeps up with it. He could be an amazing author or story writer.

Raoul turned back to me as Frej now spoke to himself. Something about a princess...

"He's a bright little boy..." I broke the silence as he began to gaze into space.

"Oh? Oh, yes. He seems to enjoy his own little world. He calls me the king at home, and Christine the queen. He is the prince. When we visit America... he calls his best friend the princess. She was the only little friend he ever really connected with" Raoul smiled and slowly shook his head back and fourth.

"Hm... kids... are a delight, hm? I got to skip the baby phase with Diana. No pain to anyone... except her mother, of course.." the image of her mother, lifeless, in my arms filled my brain and caused me to push back tears. That poor woman, who tried so hard to give her child everything she wanted, was killed by drunken muggers. After analysis, I realized that she had been shot... in the chest. Right next to her heart. She probably died from blood loss.

"Oh, so you've spent time with her?" Raoul was suddenly interested.

"Two days. Then I let her grandparents take her to America to live with them... but now I want her back."

"Why? What made her so wonderful?"

"She... she just made me happy. She has a bump on her head that... I guess you could call a deformity. She relates with me on how society treats those less fortunate. The ones with perfect faces or perfect knowledge... and she understands me. Then again, I still can't believe that she doesn't hate me for... killing her father."

"You killed her father? And she wants to stay with you?"

"I- I accidentally broke his neck when... actually, when Christine was still around. I demanded that Christine play the lead, yet Carlotta did. I threw a sandbag down, meaning to hit Carlotta, but I hit her father."

"Oh..." I was sure he didn't know what to say. How do you respond to that?

"Typical me, eh? Killing random people..." I smiled and he twitched a grin. He also blinked four times in the discomfort. He had long eyelashes for a man.

The door opened and closed once more in the silence.

"So, how is everything going?" her long blonde hair hung in front of her face as she stood next to us, just as Erole did.

"Pretty alright... he's very different than I remember. I didn't know he had an accent," Raoul looked at her, just as I did, "then again, I only heard him sing and yell..."

She smiled and sat in the empty seat next to Raoul, just as Carmella did. "He is Scottish and Dutch. He would have a very strong accent, if he hadn't been in France for quite a few years."

"Really? Scottish?" he turned to me, eyebrow raised, "so you wear skirts?"

I burst out laughing at that one. Skirts... oh my. He was referring to kilts. "The kings of tartan, hm?"

"Tar...tan?" he looked up to the ceiling as he thought.

"Plaid." I specified.

"Ah... so... you aren't offended at the fact that I called it a skirt...? Usually you people start to beat the word 'kilt' out of me..."

"No... because no one ever talks to me about it. I'm not exactly someone that people chat with, eh?" I sighed, a few laughs still escaping my throat.

I don't really know why I found it so funny. I wondered if it was just... the way he says things. Like a joke, like Erole.

"Do you own a Scottish outfit? Kilt and all?" he seemed to interested in my culture. Why? What was so fascinated by Scottish dressings and what I was.

"Some say I look good in high socks and a sporran..." I smiled, "I do own a set... I really don't know why, though..."

"Is it true that you... don't wear underwear under kilts?" he blinked.

"We aren't supposed to. But some men prefer to wear something to... cover themselves..."

"Do you...?" Genevieve winked at me and I blushed.

"I haven't worn that ensemble in... never. Not since I received it from my long-lost father when I was three."

"Wow, you still fit into something that you wore when you were three? You are fit..." Raoul smiled.

"I wish... well, not really..." I thought of my size if I still fit into something meant for children, "he sent a letter to me saying that I should wear it once I fit into it. That was one of the only things that I brought along with me to Paris. That, and food. I have never seen my father... that is also another reason why I travel to America. I am also visiting my family."

And we spoke of my family, my past. Etcetera. He also told me some things of his childhood. He had a brother... Fillip. He had two deaf parents, so he knew sign language. He showed me some letters such as 'A' and 'Z'. 'Z' was only your index finger moving in the shape of a zigzag?

"Two deaf parents... very interesting... how did they meet, if you don't mind me asking..." Genevieve said out loud, then moved her hands so fast, around her ears and twitching her fingers.

"Wow... you are very good at the hand signals..." Raoul seemed impressed, "and they actually... met at my mother's music studio."

"Music studio?" she seemed to be interested.

"My mother teaches young kids how to read music. She used to be a voice teacher, before she became deaf. It was hereditary. It sets in once you get old enough." Raoul turned his head towards her covered face.

"What did your father do?"

"He was a television anchor man until the age of thirty. Then he was in a car accident, and lost his hearing. He... is missing an ear. The other is just damaged. Frodo was actually my fathers."

"Frodo?" I added.

"Oh, ha..." he turned to me, "do you... remember when Christine was at the cemetery... and we got in that little sword scramble...?" he was uncomfortable again. Then I smiled at the fact that he... beat me. He was a cunning little man.

"Yes..." I laughed a breathy laugh.

"Frodo... was the white horse that I rode to get there and to leave."

"You named your horse... Frodo? Why?"

"I just thought it was catchy... what about your horse? Does it have a name?"

"Yes," my eyes were soft, but sarcastic, "I have a heart just big enough to name a stolen horse. I named her Ceaser."

"Like the salad?"

"Yeah... when I found her in the opera house's stables, she was eating a salad of sorts on the floor. One of the stagehands must've dropped it somewhere along the lines. So... I needed a horse... and that was the horse that I used to lead Christine down. Beautiful black, sweet horse. Fro some reason, she still likes me."

"Oh, that's sweet," Genevieve's eyes were sweet, like her voice, "you saved a horse..."

"No, I stole it. It still takes residence in the stables, yet I use her frequently..." I rolled my eyes. Yeah, saved her.

Raoul laughed. "You are the only man that I can believe would steal a horse..."

"Speaking of men you know... do you have friends? I'm not saying that you wouldn't, but... just want to get to know you better..." I blinked and he smiled.

"One of my best friends is in America. His name is Matthew Stocke. He... was actually my understudy."

"Understudy? In what?"

"Well, I am in the acting scene. I am in many productions now... am making money. Enough." He smiled.

"Acting? Are you... on Broadway?"

"Yes, actually... for musicals and shows."

"What shows have you been in?"

"_The Full Monty, _a musical, _Bright Lights, Big City..." _he looked at me, stopping at my agate mouth.

"_The Full Monty?_ I love that show! I almost sneaked out of my catacombs to go see it! ALMOST! When it traveled in Paris in-"

"1928!" he finished for me, smiling with me.

"You played the...?"

"Jerry Lukowski."

"Oh..." I blinked and almost blushed, "the... real... Full Monty 'Man', eh?"

He was tense again and laughed a breathy laugh through his nose. "That role was certainly an odd one..."

"Well, yeah, you were a stripper!" I think I said that rather loud... oops.

Erole smiled, closing the door behind him. "That explains so much, man... so much."

"No! No I-" he stood up and objected.

"No! It's alright... hey... ugly, do you mind if I go talk to Curly?" Erole shook his palm to Raoul and turned his straight look to me.

He had been calling Christine 'Curly' ever since he saw her hair.

"If you don't scare her, then fine by me. But I merely speak for myself..." I nodded my head Raoul's way.

"Pht, I don't care about him. His wife is going around kissing the men that almost killed her husband. Let's hope she doesn't kiss me... then again..." and he shut the door to middle class.

Raoul stared into space, a blink the only movement. Genevieve stood and put her hand on his back.

"That was a stupid comment... we will handle him..." she looked at me as if to say 'go noose your brother' and turned sympathetic towards Raoul. Raoul flopped into his chair, his eyes now searching the room. Genevieve let Raoul put his head on her shoulder.

I stepped into the aisle. I almost fell, seeing that my entire leg felt shaky. Oh, it tickled. Like little butterflies. I opened the door rather frostily and looked at all the people who stared at the angry man in the doorway. I scanned the people who stared and found the other me, talking to the smiling Christine.

I pulled his shirt collar from the back and jerked him towards my hideous face. He laughed a rumbling laugh and Christine stopped smiling.

"Dude," his voice was pitchy as I near strangled him, "this isn't exactly helping my game, now is it?"

"In the main room, now... you can flirt with..." I glared at her who blinked, "_it _later."

And I pulled him towards the door, hearing some giggles and mumbles from the crowd. I threw him into first class, literally, and he stumbled into a chair, hiding himself.

I glanced at Raoul and Genevieve. She was looking at me, hand still on his back, while Raoul looked out the window, mumbling to Genevieve. He was probably unaware of our silent entrance. I caught the door before I slammed it, seeing that he did not notice us.

I stomped over to Erole, who smiled oddly at me.

"Dude, she's hot. How the hell could you let her go?" he raised her eyebrows.

I glared at him and he took the hint. I grabbed his hair, a yelp escaping his mouth. I knew this was painful, but how dare he. How dare he say something like that to Raoul? How dare he flirt with her after she betrayed several people close to her? That little... little... dunce! Flirt! Loser!

I pulled him up, now a loud, incredible scream. I held him by his fragile hair up to my standing position, with no help from him.

"Look," I whispered to his now close ear, "who do you think you are?"

"Who you..." he cried out after I jerked on it, "want to be!"

I pulled his hair and dug my nails into his scalp, "WRONG!" I yelled. "You are Erole De Graff. And that is all you are! You have no right to go and do so many stupid, rude, repulsive things in less than FIVE MINUTES! How dare you flirt with that woman? Do you know how much pain in wrapping all of us because of her? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I DID TO MYSELF BECAUSE OF HER?!" I yanked harder and he supported his own weight. I felt his hand on my back, pulling at my shirt.

"N-YES!"

"Then what did I do, eh?"

Silence.

"TELL ME!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"THEN WHY DID YOU SAY THAT YOU KNEW?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"WHY DO YOU NOT- AH!" I was pulled off of Erole and he fell into the seat, a tear falling.

"STOP!" Genevieve said in a feisty tone, "Erole... please... just apologize to Raoul... and Erik, calm down."

I relaxed and Erole stood, wiping the tear away. "Raoul... I'm so- AH HA!"

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! THAT SON OF A...!

Despite my pain, I wrapped my hands around his neck and gripped. He choked his laugh off and threw his fist there again. My hands fell, and my knees hit the floor. My forehead touched the soft ground.

Then all went black.

_+_+_+_+}+_+_+_+_+}+_+_+_+_+_}_+_+_+_+_+_}_+_+_+_+_+_+}_+_+_+_+_}_+_+_+_+_+}_+

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**I actually looked some things up! Patrick Wilson (Raoul) actually did name his horse Frodo, he was in the Broadway production "The Full Monty", and his mom was a music teacher, and his father a T.V newscaster.**

**I added the idea of Lon Chaney's parents both being deaf to Raoul. I felt that it would be interesting.**

**If you don't know what happened to Phantom, you will find out in the next chapter. ^.^**


	18. Manly Spiciness

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**This particular chapter has a higher rating! Like a... T++**

**If you are uncomfortable with a little... steamy... stuff... then I suggest that you skip this chapter. Personal Message me to find out what the main things that happen in this chapter are if you need to skip.**

**It isn't too bad, just a little kissing, but I just wanted to warn you. :) **

**  
Happy reading! I won't beg for R&R... but hey... everyone likes a little support. :D **

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I was being carried. I didn't know where... but I was. And her scent was the only thing I noticed, other than the feeling of my legs dangling. After my senses awakened just the slight, the muffled sound of her voice and mine filled my head. Another man's voice, too.

I sighed and opened my eyes. She was wearing a red shirt. I could tell I was near her neck, for her perfume was penetrating her natural, wonderful scent.

The slow bobbing of her steps kept me from falling into my own little comatose. Their words became more clear... but I ignored them. I blinked, feeling my eyelashes grace her skin. Then, after opening my eyes once more, closing them. I twitched a smile and let the darkness envelope my senses again.

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I didn't know how long I had been out. How long I was lying in this bed, somehow appearing, with everyone around me.

She wasn't really wearing a red shirt. It was a red jacket. One that cut off at the middle of her abdomen. He wore a blue shirt with khaki pants, while _it _wore a green shirt with an odd design on it. It was sleeveless, so it showed his tattoos that disgraced his arms. He was slumped over the chair, while she touched my face gracefully. She smiled a sweet, gentle smile and her eyes were soft, caring, genteel, and tired all at the same time.

"How are you feeling, Erik?" her voice cracked, but it also sounded soothing to my confused, worried thoughts. They almost stopped in their tracks at her voice, but my personality seemed to break the barrier.

I groaned, suddenly feeling pain. Not only in... where Erole had hit me... but also my head. My back hurt as much as my neck, with a little sting on my leg.

"I guess that answers that..." Raoul's voice was suddenly there. He appeared to be sleeping, but now rubbed his eye and sighed shortly after his comment. His vibrant green eyes that I had seen before, were now tired and dazed. I had seen many emotions from that man... depressive, uplifted, excited, embarrassed, scared, and now tired.

"Where am I...?" I blinked and smiled, my confused heart warming from the sight of her. Her hair was not in front of her face, revealing her wonderful, beautiful face.

"The airplane. You have only been out for a few hours. Three and a half to be exact..." her voice melted my heart, forcing it into a red liquid that rushed through my veins.

WHOA! Three and a half hours! What had Erole done?

Erole's slumped body suddenly perked. He coughed into his loose fist, then became limp once again. Genevieve rolled her eyes, I closed my eyes, and Raoul stood. He also brushed off his shoulder, like I do. Was that a habit of his, too?

"The plane will be landing soon. We are above the Pacific ocean, and will be switching planes in New there. But... I really don't want Erole to come along..." her words shocked me. They sounded nice and sweet, but were deceiving the cold and cursing.

"Why... why not?" I didn't like Erole much either. But, I would never tell him to go home. And.. why did Genevieve want him to leave? What did he do to her? If he hurt her... I swear to God...

"He is dangerous. He almost snapped your neck, Erik. Not to mention he... caused you pain in the one place you don't want to be in pain. I really think that it is to our best concern that he not continue. Think about it, too. About Diana. What would she do if she saw two of you?" her caring hand, gingerly caressing my face, my arm and my chest, could not hide what she was trying to say.

"Oh, he just kneed me in my place and when I went down, he stomped on my neck, who hasn't done that at least once in their life?" I placed the hand that circled my chest at the side of the woman to whom it was owned by.

She smiled, not sweetly or genuinely, but more like a filler smile. "I- I just don't think he can control himself around you. He is too comfortable. Think about it, you brawl on him, he brawls on you. You are brothers, it is natural. You are twins, and you are naturally more comfortable with people who have some sort of disfigurement. I see you and Raoul talk. You still don't connect as much as you did with Erole or me. It is about appearance, and even more so the relationship."

"But... where do you plan to leave him?" I was scared. Mostly because... I agreed with her. She was right. He hurt me, knocking me out for several hours. There was no telling what he would do if we made him too angry... like me. I was always angry. I could compare him to me because... he was me. We shared the same blood of my disfigured father. We both lived lives, although they were different.

"We arranged a plane from New York back to Paris."

"No!"

"Erik, I know he is your brother, but-"

"Exactly. No matter what he does, he is my blood. We were even in the womb at the same time! Our faces fit together!" I felt my voice rise with my anger and disappointment in her, "do you know how long I have waited for someone like him to come along? Someone related to me. To make me feel as if I am not alone. He has connections with my parents, Genevieve..."

"Erik, I can give you that feeling... we don't need-"

"Can you tuck me in at night? Can you comfort me when my emotions are haywire? When my heart breaks?" I felt the anger be replaced by depression. I- I just wanted everything to go smoothly. Just once... please. I wanted everyone here, even Raoul. He wasn't as bad as I had expected. Christine was even okay. I just wanted people. I don't want to be alone. Please, not again. People. Souls. Any collection of atoms!

It was silent for a moment while she looked down. I stared at my lap that was covered by a white blanket. "That's all you want, isn't it?"

I looked up to her voice. Low, soft, but that could be a fallacy. "What?"

"You want a mother figure, yes? All of this... between you and me...just so you could have someone to care for you. You... you don't love me. You just want people..." she stood and a tear fell down her scars.

"No! Well, I do want a mother, but I love you! I love you with every fiber and atom of my being! Please... where are you going?" I watched her put her hand on the doorknob, back to me.

"Home. I'm looking for a lover, not a child..."

And she closed the door.

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"GENEVIEVE!" I shouted as sweat beaded down my forehead.

They looked startled, Erole jerking from a light sleep, Genevieve turning her head to me, Raoul blinking.

"Well, look who woke up, Mr. Shouts..." Erole smiled, rolling his shoulders to stretch.

"W-wha?" I looked around. The room was completely different, with yellow little curtains instead of gray above the windows. The love seat in which Erole splayed across on was a light orange, and everything in the room was bright. Subtle, yet joyful. It had been a while since I had ever been in such a brightly colored room. It was small, yet comfortable, like the first apartment of a newly married couple.

Genevieve stood and stepped over to me, the dress that she wore flowing behind her. She placed her cool hand on my too-hot forehead. "Did you have a nightmare, honey?"

I blinked at her. "Where did your red shirt-jacket thing go?"

She smiled and breathed a laugh, "what are you talking about, Erik? I haven't worn that red shirt ever since I met you. Remember, the evening you wanted Diana back?" she looked at me like I was crazy.

I hurried to push the blankets off of me. She moved back to allow me to rush to Erole. He laughed as I pulled him up in a hug. He hugged me back and, as a joke, gently tugged on a piece of my hair.

He was wearing jean shorts, showing a tattoo with some other odd saying wrapping around his shin. We broke apart and he raised his eyebrows.

"YOU AREN'T GONE!" I laughed, widely smiling.

"I KNOW!" He jumped up and down, grabbing my shoulders, like an excited little girl.

I hugged him again in a quick hug and he fell back onto the couch.

I gazed at Raoul. "Nothing really happened to you..."

"Well at least I'm lucky..." his head slanted on his hands and he closed his eyes.

My head slowly turned towards the beautiful woman whose hair hung in front of her face. My face softened and she stared, looking confused. I slowly walked towards her, and once reaching a reasonable length, caressing her face. I swished her hair behind her ear so I could see her fully.

"You were obviously dreaming of me... considering you shouted my name when you awoke..." she smiled, not really realizing yet what was going on.

"Yes. Yes I was. And you scared me... so much..." I was close to her face now, feeling her soft breath on my collarbone.

"How so...?" our voices were quiet, as if we were the only ones in the room. Right now... we were. In our minds.

"You left me, Genevieve... and said you wanted Erole to leave..." I felt her chest against mine.

"Oh... well, you know I would never want to do either of those..." her leg crossed mine.

"I didn't know then... and oh God was I terrified..." my hand ran upwards on her lower back, stopping on her shoulder blades.

"I would be more scared than you..." she played with the shirt collar that rested near my neck.

"Hm..." my mind was soon dizzy and lost in ecstasy as her lips touched mine. My fingers played with her hair and her hand was soft against the back of my neck. Pressure was relieved, sweetness abound.

Our eyes opened and our lips departed. Erole and Raoul stayed quiet, thank God. Erole didn't make any stupid comment or sound. Raoul probably wouldn't have done anything anyway. But you never know.

It turned out that nothing had happened. Erole didn't even hit me in... the place. As Raoul and I conversed, there was a long place of silence. Raoul had fallen to sleep, and I followed shortly after. I was being carried by Genevieve, but she had a red blanket wrapped around her, for it was nighttime. The red shirt was the blanket. The bed that magically appeared was a room available on the plane for long travelers. I was on this plane for fifteen hours. Well, maybe not this plane. This plane I was on for only twelve hours. Still... we were going from Paris to New York, America. Then, we went from New York to Colorado, where we would take a carriage ride from Snowpile City to Denver to get Diana.

And I would get her. No matter what.

Raoul had fixed his hair, _for an hour, _and ate breakfast in the meal room.

I didn't eat, of course, and neither did Erole. Genevieve and Raoul conversed about something over orange juice, bagels, eggs, and toast.

"Eat, Erole... don't mind me..." I slumped in my chair, still shaken over last night's dream.

"Nah, I don't eat for days on end. Something makes me not feel hungry..." he sipped a little bit of water and leaned into his palm, while his elbow propped it on the clothed table.

I stared and he stared awkwardly back.

"You... you don't eat? OH MY!" I smiled and shook his back, "it isn't just me! Why don't you eat?"

"DUDE!" he stared and I stopped shaking him violently, "I don't know. I only eat every-"

"Once a week, right?"

"How did you know that?"

"The same thing happens to me!"

"Why?"

"I don't know! I figured that it was because I was used to not going without it!"

"No, I always had enough food..." he shrugged, "why is this such a big deal?"

"Because... that means that it wasn't because of my childhood! Does... Erik Sr. not eat much?"

"Hey, hey... Erik Sr? Call him dad! His blood is inside you!"

"I wouldn't say that his _blood _is inside me..." I smiled and he chuckled, "now answer me."

"Pushy, much? And for your information, he also does not eat much. But that is because the fire burned his throat, so it is painful for him to eat. It was so bad, that his esophagus nearly just... disintegrated. He actually has a small box that generates electricity to the muscles to his throat so that he could talk and eat. It moves the muscles and helps to vibrate the cords."

"What happened? Where was the fire? Why was it that bad? How did he survive?" I was suddenly interested in my father.

"He slept through it. He fell asleep at the Marriott hotel in Chicago. One maid had been cooking, and it soon was just FIRE! He didn't wake up until his nose just started... melting off. He was knocked unconscious when a wood beam smashed against his head. He woke up in the hospital, meeting my mother as his nurse. She said he survived because he was sleeping. When your brain is resting, your body rests. When you begin to freak out when you are burning to death, the fire only spreads further. He never moved, only waking up, then being knocked out."

"How did he get out of the building?"

"The fire department eventually found him after his face burned almost completely off."

"How do you sleep through something like that...?"

"He... he had cancer. He had just gone to the clinic to get chemotherapy for his leukemia. This makes him extremely drowsy... so... he was numb for most of it..."

"So he has cancer?"

"_Had _cancer. It was treated along with his face while he stayed in the hospital."

"Did he... loose his hair?"

"It grew back. Now he is just an ugly fool."

I smiled. "Don't talk about your father like that...

"_Our _father, dude..." he patted my back and closed his eyes as he smiled.

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I wasn't used to calling someone 'father' or 'mother'. I think that the dream that I had spoke to me. Genevieve... was kind of my mother. She did take care of me and feel as if I had someone to trust. I... I think the dream told me something else.

I needed to tell her how I felt.

But what if she acted as she did in my dream?

What if she didn't? What if she liked the idea?

Either way, I needed to tell her. It would bother me so much if I didn't.

Just like kissing Christine. The guilt would eventually eat me alive, but now, the guilt was replaced by wonder and awkwardness.

"Erole, thank you for telling me of this. I will be right back, okay?" I stood, brushing off my shoulder as I always did.

"Sure... I'll be here, maybe mocking some idiot, maybe kissing some hot chick I found... who knows?" he leaned in his seat.

"I'll look for the hickey on your neck..." I touched the door's handle and he chuckled.

The door closed with a small click as I stopped walking towards her. I saw her sitting in a large chair. It was colored a deep maroon with black accents. She was reading, the light from the window next to her lighting her face.

I swore I saw angel wings spread from her back and a halo above her head.

Maybe I should go back. Why was this so important, anyway? I could live with it... her being my secret mother. I started to turn back, nervously glancing at the door... then, if I did this quietly, I could sneak... away...

"Erik?" she put down her book, "did you come here for a reason...?"

Damn.

"No... I... I just wanted to see your face..." I smiled a wide smile and opened the door a crack, ready to bolt. She really didn't need to know...

She stood, her invisible angel wings blowing in the nonexistent wind. "Erik, you came here to talk about something... come sit..." she patted the maroon seat and smiled.

I stood and blinked. What do I say to that? "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Erik..." her stern yet calming voice became closer and her fingers grazed my chest. Swirling my shirt... down to the tip of my hip bone... then up to my neck to trace my collarbone, "what are you hiding from me, you can tell me. Whatever is on your mind... it is safe with me..."

"Hm..." my eyes closed and I leaned into her. I know what she was trying to do. She was trying to melt me so that I would open up.

Well, it worked.

She guided me over to the large chair and sat me down. It was warm from her own body heat that lingered from her short pause from the chair.

I smiled when she sat on my lap. I chuckled when she positioned herself so that she was lying on my lap, like I was carrying her angel style.

She was an angel after all. I could see her wings and her halo. She was sent from heaven. To me. To help me.

She wrapped her arms around my neck. She rolled her eyes and removed her left hand to grab the white mask that covered my face. She gently pulled it off, and I felt the warmness of the real, not porcelain covered, air. She gently kissed me just below my eye on the deformed side.

"You don't need to wear your mask around me, you know that..." she caressed my deformity and kissed me on the cheek. Her lips were so soft and warm... for the air had not yet defeated the cold from my mask.

"Hm... I know... I forgot to take it off... I was talking with Raoul and it felt odd not having it on..." my arm supported her back.

She continued to kiss me all over my face. My cheek, my chin, my lips, oh especially my lips.

Wait... why was I here again? Oh... oh yeah. The mother thing. Oh, I would have to stop her before I forgot completely.

"Genevieve..." I began to pull away regretfully, but she was persistent.

"Honey... I have to tell you... somethin'... about..." my sentence trailed. No! No... stay on it, Erik... stay...

"Oh, I'm sorry..." she pulled away smiling, "but you just distract me, you know?"

Oh, please keep kissing me, I thought. No... I needed to let her know. "I know how you feel..."

Oh did I.

"So what do you want to talk about..." she was serious now.

I sucked in my pride like I did my breath, "you may not like hearing this..."

Her little smile depleted. She couldn't possibly know what was coming...

"I-I don't think of you... just as... my... partner..." I closed my eyes.

C'mon... ignore that look... it isn't that big of a deal...

"What else am I?" she seemed unsure. And... was that fear?

"You..." I would just shoot this out, "you are also my mom!"

She froze, then giggled. "What?"

"I think of you... as a mother figure..." one of my eyes carefully opened to see her.

She looked at me, eyes half staff and a little smirk on her perfect, scarred face.

What was that look?

"That's the big news? You think of me as a mother figure?" she giggled a little.

I blinked as she kissed my cheek sweetly, still laughing.

I didn't laugh or smile. I- I thought that she would feel... odd. That she would think that she wanted a partner, not a son.

"Oh... Erik... you scared me! You made me think- oh... Erik!" she was still smiling and she was so close to me that her sweet wonderful breath from her sigh of relief graced my face. I inhaled just the slight to enjoy it...

"Oh... well, Erik, what was the big deal? You looked like you were about to tell me that you," she giggled again and tickled the hairs on the back of my neck. They stood erect now as she tantalized my nerves, "cheated on me or something...!"

"Well... I figured that you would be a little uncomfortable knowing..." both of my eyes were open now... somewhat enjoying her surprisingly amused expression.

"No... oh, Erik... you poor, hopeless romantic..." she toyed with my ear and earlobe. I wanted to kiss her... but I wanted her to explain more.

"It is normal for you to feel as if I am the dominant woman in your life... I am the _only _woman in your life..." she smiled and raised her head close to my ear. I felt her warm breath sweeten my cool skin. She whisper-talked into my ear.

"Thanks..." I smiled, but I was half-dazed into my own little Genevieve heaven.

"Oh... you know that's okay. Anyways... it is natural that you would think of me as sort of a mother figure. And, as long as you don't start calling me 'mom', then I think it is pretty sweet" she rubbed the hand that wasn't on the back of my neck on my back. I sighed a slow groan... she smelled so good... so... Genevieve-like.

"You are not freaked out? I would be a little afraid if you told me that you thought I was your dad..." I managed to choke out. She was very tempting. Like... the wanting of the forbidden. Like I was on a diet, and I pass by a stand of fresh donuts.

Only... she was not forbidden. I was not on a diet... and she was one tasty donut.

I gently ran my hand over her shoulder blades, traveling, feeling her soft shirt, down her spine to the small of her back.

"No. I don't find it odd. You have a person who is taking care of you, making you feel loved and cherished... am I wrong...?" she stopped moving her fingers delicately over my skin.

"No you are not wrong... you have no idea how wonderful you make me feel..." her ear was next to my lips. One turn and... I began to trace my lips along her jaw line. She moved her head up from my neck to allow me easier access. She giggled as my lips met hers and she responded to my kiss.

"Well then," we departed and looked into each other's eyes, "if I make you feel so wonderful, then your lack of a mother and the woman who resembles one certainly would give you the feeling of being a mother, no?"

"I guess... I never thought about that..." I smiled and my lips found her earlobe once again. She giggled.

"We are really dragging this out, aren't we?" she reached her hands in front of my chest. What was she doing?

"Indeed. Oh well. Guess we just have to go with the flow..." my sentence trailed as she moved her position from angel style, to having her legs on each side of me. She sighed and pressed herself tighter against me.

My lips were soon tangled within hers. This was a... different kiss. She was... frisky. Hotter. She moved and rubbed her body against mine in such a way that... oh, I don't know.

And I think... I liked it.

She began to unbutton my shirt and she giggled.

WHOA! Oh... okay! Hey... okay watch it... I'm not exactly... ready for that.

She began to kiss my neck, pulling off my shirt and it fell to the cushion behind my back. I was now bare-chested.

"Gene-MPH" my lips were now in hers again as I tried to squirm her off. She was a very persistent woman...

She released my lips once more and began to nibble on my earlobe. Oh... that felt so...

NO! NO! I needed to stop, now! STOP! NOW! That was my goal! In my jumbled, confused thoughts, that was my main objective. Stop and get her off while being delicate towards her feelings.

She smiled and blew on my now wet skin. This was getting harder and harder to pull away, wasn't it? NO! Stay... on... don't let your urges get to you... hrumph...

"Genevieve... st..." I closed my eyes and let the feeling of her... in general... touching me. Her warmth... her...

S.T.O.P! God, what is wrong with you, man? It isn't that hard to shove a woman off of you. STOP IT BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

"Genevieve. Stop now..." I stopped myself from groaning, which was one of the hardest things I think I have ever had to do, and pushed myself towards my goal.

She continued, giggling to show that she ignored my comment.

"Genevieve. Stop" my voice was stern and my, previously limp, body was now tense.

She stopped moving her body, but continued to grace my neck with her lips and tongue.

Keep going. She's getting the hint.

"Gene-Genevieve, get off of me..." my voice sounded attempting to be threating, but it was slowly being melted.

She moved her head to look at me. Her eyes were wide, but her eyebrows were pulled together. Her lips were in a straight line.

Oh, how it pained me to see her face so devastated. Oh, if only she knew how much I wanted her.

"W-what?" she blinked and swallowed the lump in her throat.

She wanted to cry... I could hear it in her voice.

Please... please don't feel that way... please... oh, I wanted to tell her how much I wanted to respond to her.

I just couldn't. Not now... maybe... some other time... back home, where ever that may be.

"Erik...?" she touched my face and I didn't respond, "I'm so... sorry..." her voice cracked and she began to crawl reluctantly off of me.

Ohhhhhh! What had I done?!

Wait. No. These were... my morals that we were talking about. My religion. Sure, I was already going to hell. But I made a promise to God when I was a young man that I wouldn't... do that... until I was married. I used to wear a purity ring... but somewhere along the line, I lost it.

Genevieve would... have to take the sacrifice of... that... for the place of my morals.

I stood and grabbed my shirt that lay by my lower back. I swept it into my arms and buttoned it up to the top, leaving one button open. I fixed my collar as she turned her back to me and leaned her body on a wall, her forehead supporting her.

"Genevieve..." I finally fixed my collar to my liking.

No response.

"Gene...vieve...?"

She moved her head but instead supported herself with her arms. She didn't look towards me, but instead, I heard a soft whimper as she hang her head.

"No..." I slowly stepped towards her who cried now, "I-I didn't mean to upset you... I- I just... I'm not very comfortable... with this..." I was afraid to touch her, for she was as fragile as a broken glass lake with me as a heavy, insensitive yacht.

"You didn't upset me..." she was indeed crying, "I upset myself..."

She turned, her makeup running down her face. "Did you see me? Oh my God, you opened up to me to get something off your chest... and I got all... hussy on you!" she leaned on her back now, her head hanging, her arms crossed.

"No... you weren't a hussy..." I stepped a little closer, "you... you were merely... curious, no?"

She looked up at me. Something about her blue eyes... they seemed drowsy and dazed... I was used to them being bright, beautiful... joyful.

"I mean, look at me," I held my arms up and flexed them, "you could you _ever _resist _this?!_"

She smiled and giggled at my sarcasm. It was a breathy attempt at a laugh... but it was something.

"I must ask, Erik..." she took out a white handkerchief and wiped her face, "what... what stopped you? Do you not find me..."

"Stop! Stop right there... I don't want to hear you say it. Genevieve... I am Christian. I, well, mentally, wear a purity ring..."

Her mouth dropped and her hands clapped over her mouth. "OH. MY. GOD!" she began to cry again, "I basically smashed your religious beliefs! OH!"

She was soon wrapped in my arms, still clutching her own face. "Shhh... It's okay... you didn't smash anything..."

I soothed her and eventually she seemed to calm down. If only she knew that God would have grabbed me by the hair and throw me into the deepest pit of hell at the thoughts that I thought. I just... hid them from you, the unsuspecting reader. Truly sorry...

"And... I'm really nothing to go ga-ga over..." she wrapped her arms around me as I spoke to her.

I didn't joke that time. I really wasn't anything special. Why _she_ wanted _me _so bad was unknown.

She looked at me... that sexy glare that she gave me when she was on top of me. "What did you just say, Erik De Graff?"

"I'm not that... handsome..."

"What are you talking about?" she put her hand on my chest, that sexy glare going away, but it's reminiscence still there. Her hand was soft and gingerly, but not flirty, "Erik, you have nothing," she grazed her hand over my abdominals, "to be ashamed of..."

I raised my eyebrow. "Genevieve... I'm very sorry for-"

"Oh, what do you have to be sorry for? I am the frisky annoying girlfriend..."

"What did you just say? _Annoying? _Oh... no,no,no,no... my love... you have no idea what was running through my mind as you touched me..."

"Oh I know... _Get this crazy woman off of me!_"

Like I said, I hid some... thoughts from you... some thoughts that were opposite from what she just said. And much more enjoyable.

"More like... _Oh my God! There is a sexy, beautiful, incising woman kissing me! What do I do?!_"

She giggled a low giggle. "Really?"

"Oh yes. Very much yes..."

"Does that ring deny against kissing?"

"No. And if it did, we would have cracked that ring over three hundred times..."

"Yes we would have..."

Then we broke it the three hundredth and one time.

Erole and Raoul were sitting next to each other. We didn't know what they were talking about... but they seemed pleased.

It seemed odd. It looked like... Raoul and I talking. Both smiling... just talking. So that was what I looked like when I smiled. I forgot the look of it.

Raoul had stood up and opened the door to middle class. Christine had came and taken Frej to her, according to Erole once I reached him.

"Swishy really isn't so bad..." he admitted to me once I sat down, Genevieve following.

"Swishy? Is that Raoul?" I laughed at the name. Erole is just the kind of person to think that he was gay...

"Yeah. He talks like a girl, you know? Mr. Proper..." he shrugged.

The door opened and Frej rushed into the room and plopped down into a random seat.

"Go..."

"No!"

I heard the door close after a bunch of scuffling.

Raoul appeared.

Christine was in front of him. She was obviously being pushed, for Raoul's hands were on her back. She stared in front of her, her lower lip curled over her upper lip just the slight. She didn't look pleased to be here.

I didn't even think she deserved the spit that I would spit on the ground she walked on.

Erole was smiling for some reason.

Genevieve looked at my disgusted look and blinked.

All was silent. Until Raoul let go of Christine, who stumbled to keep her own balance. Raoul had to push her in here? I rolled my eyes and grimaced. Stupid girl.

Christine crossed her arms and mumbled something.

"What was that?" Erole smiled wider and raised his eyebrows.

"Is ph..." she responded, shooting him a dirty look.

"Hm...?" he winked, but he better not have meant it.

"I. AM. SOR-RY. ER-IK!" she yelled, being very precise. She stared at Erole, but was addressing me.

"That's okay..." I mumbled and stared at her with that... creepy look. It was the same look that I gave her when I guided her down the catacombs to my lair the first time. It was soft, yet fierce. I tilted my head just the slight and widened my eyes more than usual for this look.

It scared people.

"There. You happy? God... can't do anything any..." her sentence trailed as she stomped out the door. Raoul sighed, eyes closing.

"Why doesn't she just shut up and say sorry...?" he fell into the chair closest to him, the opposite seat from me on the other side of the aisle.

"I believe she did..." I grinned.

"What a great apology..."

I stood and approached him carefully. I was standing, while he sat, staring at the seat in front of him.

"She has some problems with swallowing her pride. She still doesn't think that kissing you could make or break our relationship. She thinks... that... it's just..."

Oh great. Now I had a man crying. What do I do? It wasn't like I could hug him to make him feel better. I was unfamiliar with what to do when a _grown man _was crying.

"No big deal!"

He cried like a girl. Little whimpers and inhaling through his teeth. I blinked as my eyebrows entwined together.

Well, eyebrow.

His face fell into his hands and Genevieve stood, waving her hands towards Raoul as if to say, '_Do something!'_

I shrugged and widened my eyes. I rolled her perfect blue eyes and began to approach Raoul. She moved me over with a slight push and knelt down towards Raoul.

"Hey," her voice was soft and genteel as she placed her hand gently on his back, "it's okay... like I said, go to therapy with her... it will help this feeling of not belonging..."

"What are you doing, Genny?" Erole stood, looking at Genevieve with a look of disbelief, "you don't do that with a man!"

"That's what I do with Erik to make him feel better..." she defended herself.

She was right. And it always worked.

He strut confidently towards Raoul who looked up for a moment, then went back down.

"My point exactly..." he put his hands on his hips and Raoul smiled.

"What are you crying about, soldier?" he sounded like an army general, loud with a precise way he said words.

"W-what?"

"Attention, soldier!" Erole stood straight while Raoul still slumped.

"You wanna be in this army called life, soldier?" he smiled a twitch, trying to keep up with his army general look as Raoul began to stand.

"What?" Raoul's eyes were red. How? He barely let a tear fall. All he did was whimper and cry out.

"Do you want to live?" Erole shouted, perking Raoul's posture.

"Well, yes..." Raoul responded quietly.

"SALUTE YOUR GENERAL, SOLDIER!"

Raoul did such, now standing across from Erole, hand in a salute position.

"Now," Erole saluted back, "why are you bein' all whimpery over there...?"

"My wife doesn't seem to think that kissing another man would hurt my feelings."

"And why do you think she thinks that?"

"I really don't know why..."

"Have you ever kissed another woman?"

"Not after Christine and I were together."

Erole put his hand down as did Raoul. Raoul was still quiet and careful.

"Well then... okay. What did she do after you hooked up? Any signs of still lovin' Erik?" he as still sounding confident.

"She showed signs... still singing the songs they sang together... things like that."

"Did you ever try to stop them? Did it bother you?"

"Yes. It bothered me so much to the point where I told her to stop singing those songs and I clapped my hand over her mouth." Raoul swallowed.

Erole raised his eyebrow. "Really?"

Raoul froze, then began to cry again. "NO! I did nothing! She wouldn't let me! She pushed me away when I wanted to talk about it!"

"RA-OUL!" Erole yelled strictly.

Raoul looked up.

"ARE YOU A MAN!?"

"Um... yes..."

"THEN BE PROUD OF IT!"

"Yes. I am a man."

"MORE PRIDE!"

"YES! I am a man!"

"I WANT TO FEEL PRIDE DRIPPING FROM YOUR NOSTRILS!"** ( ME:What? )**

"I AM A MAN!"

"WHO'S A MAN?!"

"ME!"

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

"RAOUL!"

"RAOUL WHO?!"

"RAOUL DE CHAGNEY!"

"MORE LIKE... RAOUL THE MAN!"

"YEAH!"

The room was soon filled with manly grunts.

"SO ARE YOU GONNA LET SOME WOMAN'S KISS GET YOU DOWN?"

"NO!"

"WHY NOT?!"

"BECAUSE I'M A MAN!"

More manly grunts. Erole turned when Raoul was laughing and held his stomach because he did so so hard.

"See?" he was suddenly quiet, his smile hiding his general appearance, "real men know how to help men."

"You are saying that Raoul is more manly than me...?" I smiled, eyebrow raised.

"Well, no..." he spoke quietly and moved closer to me, "but let's let him think that he is to make him feel better, no?"

"Fine..."

He smiled at his victory. Raoul calmed down and sat in the chair.

"What is going on?" a help attendant came from the door opposite from the middle class door."WE'RE MEN!" both Raoul and Erole yelled. They smiled and flexed their muscles, making stupid manly grunts.

The woman help smiled when Frej hopped out of his chair and mimicked the men. He sounded so... young.

He had Christine's curly hair, but it was blonde, like Raoul's. It bounced as he started jumping. The men followed.

"Genevieve!" I smiled and warned her as she began to jump too.

The men stopped, staring at the odd ball woman who jumped with them, making sounds. She stopped too.

Erole made a grunt and wrapped his arm around Genevieve. He pulled her closer and made her part of the group. They all started jumping and grunting together.

The help smiled and laughed, then turned around.

"Are they okay?" one attendant said from behind the door.

"I'm not entirely sure..." she responded, laughing, and closed the door.

"C'mon, Erik!" Raoul stopped jumping and held his hand out to me.

"How is jumping manly?" I didn't grab his hand, but instead moved closer to the group who also stopped jumping and growling to invite me.

"Er... I'm not really sure... but we're hyper!" Erole started to jump again, and everybody followed.

Yes, even me...

#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#%#$

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**Was my warning in the beginning right?**

**Did you guys like this chapter? Sorry it took so long... I just got out of school, so that will be the end of late submissions!**

**Now I can stay up all night and write! :D**

**I won't beg for R&R, but who doesn't like reviews?! **


	19. Simple and Beautiful Diamond Tears

My head hurt... all of that shouting dampened my nerves.

I have to admit though, it was fun. Acting like five year olds with an actual five year old and grown men was... oddly satisfying.

The grabbed our bags and boarded off the plane. The pilot said 'M'kay' for the last time, thank God, and we walked on the plastic and metal tunnel to the main airport.

Oh. Oh... oh my God! This place was so... so... busy! Chaotic! I didn't know how so many people could fit in such a secluded place. There was a woman on the intercom announcing plane times and people upon people rushing past me, suitcases in hand, some rolling on the ground.

Genevieve interrupted my gaze to put her hand on my shoulder. "We need to wait on that bench over there," she pointed to an iron, abandoned bench by a food court, "because we need to talk."

Uh oh. Who needed to talk to who? I could have sworn my heart raced faster than the Indy 500 as she guided me over to the bench.

We watched as Erole followed and sat next to us. He sighed and drummed his fingers on his thigh.

Then Raoul, Christine and Frej, holding Raoul's hand, emerged from the massive crowd that exited the plane. Christine seemed less fearful as Raoul dragged her towards us.

Genevieve's glare would have killed a man.

Oh. That was who needed to talk. Someone with Christine. Genevieve? Me? The entire group? Frej sat down on the floor next to the bench and began to play with a toy truck.

"Erik," she closed her eyes for a moment, "here."

She held something out to me, hand in a fist. She grabbed my wrist and forced me to open my hand below hers.

She dropped the content of her hand into my extended palm.

She turned and stared at Raoul for a moment. She pursed her lips and kissed his cheek in a cold touch. Then she turned, only to become one person in the massive crowd of travelers.

Raoul sat next to me after Genevieve gave him room. He stared over my shoulder at the small object in my bare palm.

"What... happened?" my breathed. I was hard to hear over the crowd's noise.

"We talked." Raoul was just as tedious.

"Why did she give it to me?"

"Because her heart belongs to you."

I looked at him, he still looked at my hand.

"No it doesn't..."

"Erik," he closed his eyes, "I couldn't take it anymore. It was like she was cheating on me, and I knew it."

"But... Raoul..."

"It wasn't like we have been together for eighty years. It has been a year and a half. When we venture... we venture..."

"But... she just left. What about papers and things? Where is Frej going?"

"Who cares? When we both don't wear the ring, we aren't married. We legally are, but we just need to shred and recycle and bada bing, bada boom; I'm single. Frej is going to stay with me... she didn't want to say she had a child when she began to look for another man."

"Raoul... you put your life on the line for her." My stomach began to twist at that last sentence.

"Pht... you want her, go get her."

I smiled and rolled my eyes, my heart not even a quarter in it.

We both sighed, Genevieve gently rubbing her hand over Raoul's back.

I closed my hand, remembering when she gave me my ring back to me. But this time, she wanted me. I almost shook my head in the disbelief of it all.

"So, is there any chance it could be fixed?" I asked as I opened my hand once more, now in a much more outstretched position. Frej made soft vroom noises.

Poor young lad. He doesn't even know that he would never see his mother again. He was young enough to not remember this as he got older. Poor Raoul would have to explain as he became a man that his mother ran off because she really loved another man.

"No. If there was, I wouldn't take it. To be honest... I wasn't really... into it. I was at first, then after I realized that she still had feelings for you, it depleted. I just wasn't satisfied... and in more ways than one, you know?"

I looked at him, my sympathy for him beating my strange look at him down. "As much as I want to be your friend... we don't need to go into that, hm?"

"Oh. I'm sorry..."

All was silent between us. In the awkwardness and pain that surrounded us, the noise of the crowd disappeared.

I knew the pain he felt. He was hiding it. He was just separated from his wife. The one he risked his life, the one I would have taken, for, just gave her wedding ring to me. I really didn't have any hope that he would repair this. I wouldn't, if I were in his place. I couldn't stand having another man in the relationship, even for the week that Christine knew me as her angel. His heart's strings would be cut by her desertion, leaving it falling to the cold floor of his soul, breaking and shattering once it had impact. The shards would pierce his self esteem. They would pierce his thoughts, dragging them back to Christine.

Everyone longed for a companion. Even that hussy that flirted with Raoul on the plane. She may have just wanted him for his money or a quick night. But she longed for someone by her side, holding her hand; or some other part of her body, for that matter.

This would hit his heart tonight. As he lye in bed and he looked to his side... empty. The desertion knife that would have sliced the strings would strike when he felt that empty pillow beside him with his fingertips, and a tear falls on his own. His mind would envelope in sadness... the loneliness of his heart would melt the hope in every fiber of his body that he could love anyone. That melted heart would flow through his veins as the precious blood that made his stricken body stay on Earth, and not in heaven. The pain that now flowed through his veins would travel all over his body... causing such discomfort that his mind would succumb to water. That water would flow down his face, from his eyes that gazed at half-staff.

Raoul stood. He sucked his breath and swallowed. "I'm starving. Does anyone want anything?"

We all responded with soft 'no's and 'thank you's. I still stared at the object in my hand after my eyes stopped following Raoul, who grabbed Frej's hand. The father and son walked towards the food court.

The ring was truly beautiful. Very. Much more simple and shiny than the one I would have given her. The diamonds, three, were in a straight row across the gold band. The one in the middle was the biggest, while the two beside it were smaller.

Too bad. Oh, what a tragedy. They were separated. It really didn't hit home yet... but it was horrible wanting it to. I didn't want the lingering feeling of expecting pain to strike.

I separated my fingers wide. There was a slight clink and clatter of the gold smacking and rolling on the floor.

"Genevieve..." I looked at her, my mouth slightly agate, my eyebrows knit tightly, "what just happened?"

"Well-"

"Don't answer. I know what happened. I just can't stop staining Christine and Raoul's life, can I?" I small, sarcastic smile played on my lips, yet I felt like I wanted to throw a rock at my face.

"What do you mean, Erik...?" her voice was soft as she scooted towards me, filling the vacant space between her and I.

"I try to kill the guy, now they are separating because of me. Why can't I get away from hurting people?" I closed my eyes, avoiding the sight of the now still wedding band on the tile floor.

"Erik. This really, well... er..." she blinked as she put her hand on my back.

"This is all your fault, Erik," Erole butt in, "but, c'mon! Dude, you live in a basement for your entire life. It is obvious that you have no people skills whatsoever. You keep getting all emotional because you keep messing up!"

I looked at him, following Genevieve's death stare.

"Get over it. You seem to think that everything you do is a mistake. Ohhh... big deal. You split up a marriage that you didn't even want to get arranged in the first place. You really do have to get off the emo side, man! Face that you can't do it! NOBODY CAN! I really have no idea how to interact with decent people! The only people I know are ma and pop, and drunken idiots who give me money! Dude... chill out" Erole stood, facing me and putting one hand in his pocket.

"You think that I can get over having to make mistakes everywhere?" I stood to meet his apathetic gaze.

"Everyone does, dude. Everyone has affected some relationship somewhere. There are people that _purposely try _to spit up marriages. Be thankful that you just get sucked into things."

"Get sucked into things? I'm the one that tried to kill him!"

"DUDE! You live in a hole! People that have lived on ground for twenty years try to kill people because they are desperate for a woman. You didn't know what to do. What do you expect? To sit him down and talk over tea?"

I sighed. He had no idea.

"He... erm..." Genevieve tediously stood, "does have a point..."

"AND! And you always take blame upon yourself! There may be many things affecting things in their marriage! Remember? He said he wasn't satisfied. And you need to be _satisfied _in a marriage. You always take the blame for everything! Did it ever occur to you that there may be some other person's fault within everything?"

"But... well..." I blinked.

"Think about it. The marriage. Raoul explained that one. Diana falling on glass. You threw plates against the wall every day. Don't you think it was Diana's fault for stepping on the glass? There are so many things..."

"I can't blame a little girl for running after her scared mother..." I stood, my emotions suddenly fierce. Genevieve followed me, looking at Erole now with a not-so-angry look. She wasn't as pretty when she was angry.

"All I am saying is, you take blame way too much. It gets annoying when everything is always your fault" he seemed unusually confident under my venom-stare.

"Shut up, Erole..." I stepped closer to him, "I can take blame as much as I want."

He rolled his eyes and smiled a sarcastic smile. "So can I then. Want to hear how annoying you sound?"

"Erole... what are you-"

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" people in the crowd stared at Erole's sudden outburst. He put his hands on his head and feel to his knees, "It's all my fault that mom and dad picked me over you! It's all my fault you live like you do! It is me to blame, only me, because I could have acted so bad, that they could have forced them to pick you! I could have yelled at them to pick you!"

"Erole... stand up..." I blinked, ignoring the idiots who pointed and stared at the man who pretended to go through a breakdown.

"But how could you yell at them? How could you have said anything or known what was going on? There was no possible way for you to do anything" Genevieve's head was high.

"Oh, I just have to be able to do impossible things!" he lay on his back now, "even though I can't talk or walk, I must convince them!"

My breathing began to quicken, as did my anger. He was basically degrading me for doing things wrong. I never said that I could to anything that was not possible. I _could _be nice. I _could _act reasonably.

"Shut up Erole..." I gazed upon him, the venom almost dripping from my eyes onto his now-exposed abdomen. He stretched his arms up and the shirt was too short too cover it.

He laughed and Genevieve stared at me, worried at what I would do.

"I thought I heard someone yelling..." Raoul approached from behind me, a large paper cup in his hand, "what are you doing?" Frej began to giggle as he sat on the bench. He had to hoist himself with his hands in order to get up on it. He also held a smaller cup with little animations on it.

"I'm being Erik!" Erole pretended to sob, now sitting Indian style, his face in his hands.

"Well, alright then. Let me help you. What you should be doing is standing up and doing something to pop up after your recent obstacle..." he grabbed Erole's wrist and yanked him up, my venom look dissipating, "like music or writing."

Erole looked up, looking confused, just as I was, staring at him.

"Then you would truly be like Erik, my friend..." he knelt and, with the hand that didn't clasp the cup, patted Erole's arched back.

Erole stood. "What?"

"Haven't you ever noticed that whenever something went wrong, he always found some way to occupy himself away from it? Either he found some way to fix it, or get over it" he smiled, then set his cup down. He crossed his arms.

"Dude, he's the one that sulked around for his entire life, grieving over his grieving of his self pity..." Erole smiled.

"Weren't you the one telling me that I should get over it?" I blinked at him.

"Ah, have you noticed that ever since he got on that plane... he changed? I don't know how long he has been like that... but he didn't kill me when he first saw me. That was why I was cocky at first. Being all mysterious... I wanted to make him angry so that I could laugh at him when he beat me to death. But... he didn't. He was calm. Can you imagine how much that scared me? I thought he was so furious, he was silent."

I blinked once more. Frej stumbled over to me, falling from the bench, leaving his cup there. My eyes flicked over to him, then back to Raoul.

Genevieve smiled and sat down, merely stepping back a few feet to the bench.

What was Raoul doing?

"When was the last time he actually just moped around, drowning in his self pity? I've known him for a day, and haven't seen him do that yet."

Erole's funny, joking expression was already depleted. "Well, yeah. It was a joke. He seems to think that everything he does is wrong..."

"That may or may not be true. But who cares?" he smiled.

Was alcohol in that paper cup? Frej grabbed on my shin, hugging it tightly. I grimaced, almost wanting to shake him off.

"He could be killing people left and right, lying and breaking hearts everywhere he go-" he stopped, "well, he used to do that. But why look in the past, when you can gaze to the future? Because the past holds CRAP! That is all the past ever holds! CRAP covers all of the good memories, making them CRAP!"

Uh oh. Now it was starting to hit home, that his wife just left him with his little boy.

Genevieve's expression changes from content, to somewhat worried.

"You know what? Forget the past. Like I said, it holds CRAP! When you look to the future, who knows? You could not have your heart shattered into a billion pieces!" then his voice began to crack.

Erole shifted his eyes and slowly moved over to the bench, next to Genevieve. Raoul's eyes were now fixed on the floor, then the massive crowd, then generally out in front of him. He waved his hands and his eyes widened, then began to glisten.

"Because the woman you almost sacrificed your LIFE for just left you! With the child that I thought she loved!"

Frej looked up at me, his chin now against my leg. He blinked as I looked down upon his sad, chubby, baby face. "M-momma don't love me?"

I returned his blink. What do I say to that? I didn't know if she did or not. All I knew was that she was making Raoul cry and people stare.

Whoa! Raoul was crying!

He made those womanly whining sounds as he flopped down on the bench. Erole moved quickly and stood so that Raoul didn't land on him. Erole looked at me and mouthed,'what did I do?', looking panicked with wide eyes as he moved his hands jerkily.

I shrugged, my eyes now wide.

Oh... the kid was getting his snot all over my shin. I grimaced as something dripped down my leg. Oh... I swallowed as he whimpered and his curly hair bounced against my leg. Ugh... a shiver went through my body.

"Raoul..." Genevieve scooted next to him and put her hand, "I think we should talk about this..."

"Oh, that's what you always say to everyone! You're a therapist! Plus, you're a woman! How many hearts have you broken, eh? How many men were before Erik? How many did you break it off with?" he leaned on his elbows, half of his face in his hands.

Soon the worries of his emotions melted away. How many men _had _she been with before me? She always said that men never wanted to be with her. But, what if there were other men like me that saw past the face?

Was she... still... open? In that aspect?

I didn't know. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know. But, as a man, I've always wanted to be the one to... close... the woman I loved. To be completely honest... Erole was right. I lived in a basement nearly all my life. Did you really expect that I was... closed? Who would seal me?

I was so selfish. Thinking only of me when my... friend... was broken. I carefully stepped over to him, Genevieve's little smile of 'that would be nice' assuring me.

"Dude..." Erole put his hand on my shoulder, then pointed downwards.

Oh. The kid.

Erole knelt down to him, and slowly nudged him off. The boy then clasped onto his leg. He looked terrified at first, but then just looked awkward. He began to pet the little boy's head as if he was a dog, a tedious hand brushing his curly hair.

I turned my attention back towards Raoul, whose face was now fully in his hands. Genevieve backed off, allowing me to scoot in where she was and begin to gently rub his back. He looked up.

"Oh. Hi," he sniffed, "I guess I should try to be a man, eh? I won't let any woman get in my way..." his words meant nothing. The expression on his face told what he really felt.

"No. Being a man is not what is commonly thought of. A real man... would take time and think about it..."

"Screw thinking! Thinking is what got me into this! If I just... would have let you have her in the first place..."

I sighed. Here we go again.

We basically had the same conversation that we did on the plane when she kissed. me. All comfort... all soothing... then he doubts himself... I reassure... he cries... I tell him he's alright...

Then it ends. He gets up to go to the washroom, while the kid still clung on his leg.

"Okay... get off now..." Erole smiled evilly as he tried to pry the sobbing boy off of his shin.

Nothing.

"Please get OFF!" he jiggled his leg violently.

The boy was persistent.

"GET OFF NOW!" he jerked his leg one last time and the boy fell to the ground on his bottom.

We all stared at the boy who was now silent and on the floor. We were all scared at what he would do.

He blinked, then crossed his legs Indian style.

WWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!


	20. No Vacancy at the OG Hospital

Raoul cradled him in his arms as we all swallowed some Aspirin.

He was still yelling and thrashing in Raoul's arms when Raoul opened the door to the men's room.

"Damn... please tell me that when you two have kids," Erole popped his second Aspirin, "that you will teach it not to do _that._"

We all sat down on the bench once more. As I sat looking at my feet, I saw something shiny in the corner of my eye.

The wedding ring.

I gently picked it up and Genevieve began to ignore Erole's mumbles, just as I did.

"Did you know before I did?" I asked as she bent her face lower to mine.

"About what?" her voice was low, just as mine was.

"The divorce."

"Yes. When you slept, Raoul woke up before you and went to talk to her. He came back... but didn't tell me until we were getting off the plane.

"This is disappointing..." I admitted.

"Yes it is. This whole trip so far... hasn't been anything but sadness."

I thought about that for a moment. "Not really. I became friends with Raoul."

She smiled half-heartily. "I guess..."

"And... I did get to see Christine again. More than I would ever _want _to, but I did see her."

"Yes."

"Plus, I did get to know more about you, Erole, Raoul, and my family."

"I'm sure you did."

Why was she looking at me like that? Wait... I knew that smile... that was the smile I got when...

"What are you doing to my head now?" I smiled right back.

"You caught me... very good, Erik..." she patted my back.

I squinted, raised my eyebrow. "What do you see in me?"

"I think you are caring and handsome..." she giggled.

I smiled wider.

"Fine... I tricked you into doing something."

My eyebrows, eyebrow, pulled together.

"Let me recap..."

I blinked.

"I said, 'think about it... so far this trip has been disappointing..."

"And...?"

"What did you respond?"

I tried to remember. "I said something like, 'Not really, I got to know Raoul better'?"

"Yes. Now... think back before I came into your life. What would you have said?"

I smiled once I realized what she really did. She took every opportunity to change me...

"Well?"

"I probably would have agreed with you, then sauntered off to go sulk somewhere."

She shrugged and giggled once more.

"You just jump on things to perk me up, eh?"

She winked. Then her eyes trailed down to the ring. The mood suddenly shifted when our smiles dissipated. "They had a lot more problems than just you, Erik."

"I know... it's just that... I was a problem."

"Didn't we just get all positive for a second?"

"You know this will always bother me."

"It would bother me too."

"Thanks... you're my rock."

She sighed a laugh. "Time does heal and... well, I'm embarrassed to say..."

"What?"

"I have nothing to say here. You have sat down and talked to him, and that doesn't make you feel better, and you have been consoled by me so much, it even effects me. I could take you both into a speech session with Christine, but I doubt she would agree. All we have left is... time."

"I'm a very hard person to mentally heal."

"I've noticed."

Raoul approached , the boy holding his hand. Frej smiled and, with a little giggle, approached Erole.

"I'm sorry I yelled" he squeaked.

Erole raised is eyebrow and smiled. "Little dude," he scooped Frej up in his arms and supported him with his arm on his bottom as the boy leaned against his chest, "I'm sorry I kicked you off. I'm not used to kids, you know?"

"Why not?" the boy inquired.

"Well, where I work, children are not allowed inside."

"Why not?"

Erole blinked in thought as he exaggerated his thinking expression. "Because we thought that you guys would be so bored, with the gray colors and boring people, that we just decided not to let you little tykes in..."

"Or the law would shoot him down..." Raoul mumbled to me and we both smiled at Erole's glare.

"Where do you work?"

"The... er... anti-fun building."

"Where is that?"

"Right in the middle of south Paris."

Frej turned his little head towards me. "Your brother works at a boring place, but you live under an opera house, writing music."

"I'd say our jobs have the same amount of fun..." I sighed.

Frej frowned. "But... your a music composer."

"Yes..." I looked at Raoul who was giving me an odd look. The kind that a mother gives their child when they just made up from an argument.

"That is the coolest, most funnest, awesomest **( I KNOW 'AWESOMEST' IS NOT A WORD! IT'S CHILD LINGO!)** job ever! AND you live under the opera house!" he tugged on Erole's arm and he put him down. He waddled over to me and looked up to meet my gaze.

"Yeah... I work at Boring Incorporated...." he fell onto the bench and looked depressed.

It seemed that Frej was more interested in me than anything. He smiled and held his arms up to me. I scooped him up, and held him just as Erole did. I sat down and he rested on my knee.

He seemed curious as my mask. He touched it and tapped his fingernail against it. It was leather now, but it had a coating of white shell over it, so it made a soft ticking sound. "What is it?"

"A mask..."

"You wear it to hide your face...?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because a lot of people don't like my face."

"You should see daddy's back..."

Raoul's eyes widened. "Frej..."

"Sorry..."

I looked at him. "What's wrong with your back?"

"I'll tell you later." He seemed solemn and angry. He looked like he needed a nice, long brood in a dark, secluded place.

It was silent for a moment, but soon Frej turned back to me.

"He's... very curious about you..." Raoul looked at me, who had the child tugging at my wig.

"Why?" I blinked and winced a little bit when he pulled at a strand of my real hair. He obviously didn't care about my reddish blonde hair... so why stop him?

"Momma told me lots of stories about you," he tapped my mask again, "about what happened."

"Really? You seem very young to hear something like that..."

"All you wanted was someone to love..."

My smile dissipated and my gaze reached Raoul's. "Smart child you have here."

"He has the story engraved into his mind... he was bound to get _something _out of it at some time."

"I want to be a music composer when I grow up, like you" he ignored Raoul.

"Really? Why?"

"Because I think that music is cool."

"Music _is _cool." I chuckled at his expression. Such an eager little boy. He slightly reminded me of Diana's expressions.

It was silent for a while and then Frej turned his head towards Raoul. The boy seemed adjudicated and squirmy.. His eyebrows were pulled into a slant and he pouted just the slight.

"When is mommy coming back?"

I almost felt like crying. I really did. It was not often that anything affected me emotionally... but... losing a parent was something that hit my heart.

Frej swallowed and looked at him, probably wanting to cry too. "I don't know, Frej..."

Frej turned back to me, who looked solemn... holding back tears. "What's the matter, Phantom?"

I blinked, and the boy in front of me became blurry. "Just the thought of Christine..."

I wasn't lying... merely... protecting a child. This should be a thing that his father should talk to him about. When he was older, of course.

But he would pick something up when he went back home and his mother wasn't there. He would notice something when he went to eat breakfast and mommy wasn't there when he sat down. He would notice when- oh no...

Frej scooted off of my knee as a tear slid down my cheek.

"Come here, Frej..." Raoul kneeled down and blinked to contain himself from crying. We would all know, too, with the whines and sniffling.

I was a quiet crier. Then again... the only time I really ever cried was when I was angry, and

I yelled when I was angry.

But I wasn't angry now... I was depressive.

Frej waddled over to him, but after being scooped up, he watched me stand and walk over to the men's room.

I closed the heavy wooden door behind me and leaned against the cement wall. I slowly let my forehead lean against the wall and I let the tears fall.

No child should have to go without a mother. No child should be raised by a single parent, whether it be the mother or father. But many children did.

Diana did. Diana's father was killed by an evil, ruthless man that didn't think twice before he dropped the heavy sandbag on his neck. Now it was just her and her mother... but her mother was also killed. By muggers. So, instead of staying with me, I pushed her out of my life, and into the lives of her grandparents. She must have felt so... unstable. So depressive and generally horrible.

Now Frej was to be raised... without a mother. Only by Raoul. I had no doubt in my mind that Raoul would be a great father... but... it was hard being a single parent. You had to be the mother, who cares for the child and keeps things orderly, and the father, who provided the money and food for the family.

The family of two.

The door creaked open and I heard someone step in.

"Erik?"

"Genevieve... this is the _men's _room..." I grabbed a paper towel from the pile on the sink's counter and wiped my face.

"Well," she stepped closer to me, her shoes clicking against the tile floor, "I think that I have a pretty good excuse to be in here."

I blinked and didn't look at her. I stared at the blank, gray cement wall that I leaned against.

"What hit home?" she leaned on my back and wrapped her arms around my waist, holding her hands to keep them there.

"What do you mean?"

"What memories were brought up by the abandonment of someone you loved?"

"Why do you assume that it was that?"

"What else would it be?"

"You're the therapist... shouldn't you know that different things cause different emotions to emerge?"

"I do... so... in general... what are you feeling?"

I smiled. "Extreme joy..."

I suspended myself with my arms on the wall. She weaved from under my arms to in front of me. I moved so that I no longer suspended myself, merely stood there, with her in front of me. She put her arms on my sides, as if we were about to dance.

"Don't get sarcastic with me..." she smiled.

"I'm feeling sadness..." I got along with it.

"Why?"

"Because... Christine left Frej and Raoul... all alone..."

"How does that make you feel?"

"Depressive."

"Why?"

"Because... well... because I don't think any child should have to go through that."

"Through what?"

"Not having a mother or not having a father."

"Why?"

"Because without a mother to support you through tough times... life gets rough."

"Why won't the dad help them through it?"

"He will... but it wouldn't be the same."

"Why?"

"Because a father does not have that maternal instinct that a mother does."

"Why not?"

"Because the umbilical cord was not cut from him."

"So? A body part creates a connection?"

"In a sense, yes. With your mother... you feel that she created you. She is your God. You worship her and feel that you have someone that will always protect you."

"Why doesn't a father give you that feeling? He had a part in creating you."

"Because... the father is more literal. The mother usually sees more into things and helps you through more emotional times."

"I think I see what is wrong here..." she dug one of her hands in my pocket.

She pulled out my wallet.

"What is this?"

"My wallet."

"What does it contain?"

"A few licenses... money... and ID..."

She opened the wallet and pulled out my ID card from the government.

"What is this?"

"My ID."

"What is it for?"

"Saying who I am."

"Exactly." She dug into the wallet again and pulled out my driving license.

"What is this license for?"

"It allows me to drive a carriage."

"Yes, so it allows you a right."

"Yes."

She pulled out five francs.

"This is money."

"Yes."

"It allows you to buy things."

"That is correct."

She pulled these three things together in a pile. She put the ID on front, then the license, then the money.

"So, if you didn't have the ID, you wouldn't have the name that you have now."

"I would have the name... just no proof to the government that it was indeed my name.

She pulled up the license. "If you didn't have this, you wouldn't be able to drive a carriage legally, right? It would take away your privilege of driving."

"Correct."

She pulled up the money. "If you didn't have this, you wouldn't be able to buy, say, a pair of socks."

"Correct. What does all this have to do with anything?"

"Each of these things is something that your mother provides. A name, rights, and the ability to get things."

"Correct...?"

She smiled. "Come here."

She turned the knob on the sink as I watched.

She dumped the three things under the water.

"Hey!" I reached in, but she smacked my hand and turned off the water.

"What are you doing? That stuff isn't waterproof! You ruined my ID!" I threw the soggy ID on the counter top.

"So... I ruined your name? I ruined your rights? I ruined the ability to get things?"

"YES!" I flapped the license around to attempt to dry it. It was all soggy.

"Really?" she looked, "but, just because you don't have a license... that doesn't mean you can't drive."

"I could... but it would be illegal!" I gave up on wringing out the francs.

"Put your emotions aside for a moment..." she cupped the francs in her hand, "and think. If each of these things is something that your mother provides..."

She slapped the wet mass of paper on the counter top. "Have you lost your name, have you lost your rights, have you lost the ability to get things?"

I stopped worrying for a moment. "I can't get anything with that money..."

"Ah, but have you lost the ability to get things? What if you had more money?"

"Then I could get something."

"So you have lost nothing when it comes to getting things. You can get things if you work at getting more money. Have you lost your right to drive?"

"Yes... I have no license..."

"Ah, but just because the paper doesn't say you have the right, do you?"

"No. It is illegal."

"Yes. But... you can still drive?"

"Yes."

"Have you lost your name because the evidence that it is your name is no longer here?"

"No. My name is still Erik."

"So all of these material things are gone. But... you still have the mental ability?"

"Yes."

"Think for a moment about what that means."

What was she saying? All of those things were things a mother did for you. Then she brought up the material things, versus the emotional things. The material things were lost... but I still had the mental things.

Oh.

"I may have lost the material things that the my mother would have given me," I stared at her, "but I haven't lost the mental things."

"Exactly. So... if the mother isn't there..." she smiled

"The mental things still are. But what if your mother isn't there to teach those things to you?" I objected.

"You should know..."

I blinked at her intelligence. "I just... learned by myself."

"See?" she smiled wider, "even though it isn't the same... some feelings are spared, he will be just fine. It does suck going through life without a mother. But... you just need to tough it out. I went through it... and I'm fine."

"You went through life with no mother?" I never knew this about her.

"Nope. She left my father, and Gabby and I when I was two."

Hm. Interesting.

"But... back to Raoul and Frej."

I blinked and pursed my lips.

"I- I have a favor to ask of you" she moved back over to the wall where I was leaning, but instead, when I didn't follow, summoned me with her index finger.

"What?" I was not going to be wooed by her glares and sexy movements. I would show this by not giving her an interested look, and just walking over there, apposed to slowly moving over to her.

She dropped the act and leaned against the wall. "Fine. Don't be interested... I guess you don't love me..." she let her face fall into her hands and cried.

But, she was pretending to cry.

She split her fingers to look at me who looked at her with an apathetic look on my face.

"What do you want me to do?" I moved on and she dropped the act.

"Well..." she had a sympathetic look on her face, "Christine... took the houses..."

"Plural?"

"Yes. Both the one in France and in America."

"Why?"

"Because it was either Raoul give her the houses or Frej. He wanted Frej... to make sure he was safe. Christine would be... a bad influence."

"What are you saying?"

"Because she would bring men home... she kissed you THAT easily... imagine when that man isn't restricted!"

"I mean..." I knew this, "what do you want me to do?"

"Oh," she blinked three times, "well, Raoul has no where to go... and... since we have room to spare under the opera house..."

"No-o-o-oo-oo-o-oo....." I shook my head and moved back over to the sink.

"Why not?" she followed.

"Well, Genevieve... I like the guy. But... to bring him into my own home. Genevieve, don't you think he would be a little uncomfortable?"

"Why? I has a bed... food..." she put her hand on my shoulder.

"Because that's where I tried to kill him. It would be like returning to a murder scene."

"Erik..."

She kept trying to convince me; with reason after reason, and I ignored them.

I liked Raoul. I liked Frej. But... with Erole and Genevieve... my vacancy was taken up. Both physically and mentally. We would have to share rooms... uughh...

"Genevieve... no. That is my final word...!" I opened up the door before she began to object. It closed... but she didn't follow.

I sat back down, Erole staring at me and Raoul rushing next to me.

His eyes were red.

The little boy ran over to me and clasped onto my leg, then squeezed.

"That's his way of comforting people," Raoul smiled a tired smile, "he cuts off the circulation in your leg."

"I see..." I patted on his little head, "it's okay, Frej. Thank you..."

He stayed put, but I ignored him. I sat down, Raoul following next to me.

"Why did you cry?" his voice was soft and cautious.

"Because this isn't a very good thing" I followed his tone and looked down at my feet. Well, the boy on top of my feet.

"I know..." he replied solemnly.

We had already missed our flight to New York. by an hour. All of the things that happened forced me to forget about the flight, and focus on all of the things that were happening.

So, we arranged to get on the next flight for tomorrow. We would sleep at the airport and get on the flight at 8:30 the next morning.

I spread myself on the uncomfortable seats. We were able to move the arm rests, so I was splayed, hugging a blanket over my body, and rested my head on a pillow. Raoul was on the line of seats across from me. Genevieve's head was on mine and she whispered things to me. I could barely hear her, but I made out fragments. Frej was on top of Raoul as he held him close.

"Good night everybody" I quietly stated.

"Good night" they all responded in unison.

My eyes closed, I relaxed and soon fell to the power of sleep.

**Sorry that it ended so abruptly... I am so tired right now and I wanted to finish this stupid chapter! I'm not too into doing sad chapters like this one. Don't worry, the next chapter won't take as long as this one. It's easier to make a long funny chapter than a short sad one. So yes, R&R!**


	21. Original Gangster's Feeling of Euphoria

My eyes opened to a plain white ceiling. Genevieve was still by my head, but I didn't feel her against me. Instead, I heard her giggling. She was playing with my short, real hair with her fingers.

"Good morning..." she whispered in my ear. Her voice was so wonderful to be the first thing I heard when I awoke.

I smiled and glanced my eyes in her direction, but not turning my head. It was a wonderful feeling... hearing her voice once I wake up.

I wanted it to be that way forever.

I didn't want to move. I let my eyes droop as she ran her hand over my chest. She must be flipped over on her stomach.

"Did I wake you? I'm sorry..." she kissed my jawline softly and I felt her soft, cool breath against my skin.

"No..." I managed to squeak out, "I woke up on my own..." I was smiling now and my eyes were opened wider.

"Raoul and Frej went to go get breakfast... I was waiting for you to wake up" she giggled and I heard her shuffling.

"I slept late?" I sprung up after a wave of worry enveloped me. I rushed my eyes over to the clock.

I sighed in relief. It was only six am. The plane left at eight am.

She sighed and stood. I was a little disappointed that she did not keep... feeling me.

She knelt down by my side and put her gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Well, don't you look stunning for just waking up..." I smiled. She had make-up on and her hair was done. She also wore her everyday clothes, instead of her evening wear.

I swear... I've never seen a woman look so amazing in pants.

She giggled and began to drum her fingers on my chest.

Her hair was hanging in front of her face. I blinked slowly and raised my hand.

As I usually did... I brushed her hair aside. She gazed into my eyes and gently touched my face.

"Hey hey! No making out with kids in the room..." Raoul appeared. He also looked like he had been up for quite a while. He was dressed and groomed.

Frej waddled behind him, holding a paper cup with two hands. He sipped something through a straw.

I didn't see Erole. I figured he was in the restroom or something. I was surprised he wasn't sleeping, for even he said he usually slept until noon.

Genevieve giggled and stood to help Raoul carry the food in his hands. I sat up and Frej stumbled over to me, making loud slurping sounds from his cup.

"Thanks for letting us stay at your house, Mr. Erik" he said loudly and smiled.

Genevieve's eyes flashed over to him. My eyes widened and glared at Genevieve who smiled timidly and Raoul who only looked confused at my glare.

I raised my eyebrow, my eyes now squinted.

"I can feel some tension..." Raoul stepped between Genvieve and I, and I halted my glare.

Wait..

I could raise my eyebrow!

My eyes widened and I threw my hand over my face. I sprung up out of the chair, moved the little boy with my other hand gently, and ran. I really didn't know where I was going, but I didn't care.

"Erik! Where are you going?" Raoul called after me.

"INSANE!" I screamed breathlessly but loud.

I watched the people stare as I weaved in and out of crowds.

I looked to my left to check the plane times. Now it was delayed to eight thirty, and it was seven fifteen now.

Ow!

I slammed into a man and we both fell backwards.

I quickly stood to see the man crippled into a little ball on the floor. I saw only long dirty-blonde hair with a... large blue stripe in it? It started at his scalp and went all the way to the tip, at his shoulder, and it was about an inch in width. He wore black dress pants with a dress shirt. No tie.

"Uuuuggghhh....." he didn't move,only moaned and... sobbed.

I offered my hand to him and kneeled down to him, not sure what to say. He didn't move, except for his chest.

"I'm sorry..." I timidly said, "I didn't mean to run into you."

"It's not that you ran into me..." his voice was filled with sorrow as his face slowly raised towards me.

He jumped up and put me in a headlock, for I was kneeling down to him. "It's that you are so DAMN UGLY!"

I chuckled and slammed my fists against Erole's back playfully.

He didn't let go, and instead put his fist on my head. He rubbed and pressed down on my head.

I laughed, "ow!"

I stuck my index finger in my mouth and let it out with a thin line of spit following it.

I raised my arm and stuck it in his ear.

I laughed even harder when he screamed "gross!" and let me out of the headlock. I jumped up and he followed.

People stared as we pushed each other playfully and ruffled his hair. I have not had this much childish, immature fun since... well, never. It was a great feeling, having a brother that you could just josh around with.

Wait... his hair! I gripped the blue streak between my index finger and thumb.  
"What happened to your hair? Did it dip in the blue toilet water?" I had to breath heavily in order to recover from all the laughing. Plus, it was hard to fuss with Erole, a man much more hyper than I.

He chuckled and put his hand on my shoulder. "No, idiot..." he squeezed it, also breathlessly, "I dyed it!"

"What do you mean, 'dyed it'?" I continued to tug on it lightly and twist it around.

"I woke up this morning-stop pulling it" I did was he told, "and walked around. I found a hair dying place and... tried it out!"

I stared at him with an apathetic look and his smile dissipated. "What-- you don't like it?" he mumbled. It was hard to hear him over the loud crowd.

"Well... it's certainly interesting..." I shrugged and blinked.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my forearm. "Come on... you scared the life out of Raoul. He thinks he did something wrong." He tugged on me and I began to walk with him.

"He _did _do something wrong! He is staying in my home..." I spat at Erole quietly, trying to ignore the obnoxious blue... thing in his hair.

"What is so wrong with that?"

"You _knew _of this monstrosity?!"

"The poor guy has no where to go with a little boy. C'mon, man."

"He is not a _poor guy. _He is the Vicomte De Chagney! He has more money than any person I know."

"So? You said it yourself... family and love is more important than money!"

"When did I say that?!"

"I'm sure you said something along that line at _some _point in your life!"

"Erole... this is insane! Do you think the man wants to _stay _in the place where he was almost _killed... with _the man who almost _killed _him?!"

"He is desperate! C'mon, man..."

"No! Give me one good reason to let that _insolent fool _into my home!"

He was silent as we approached Raoul and Genevieve approached me instead.

I blinked at her and nodded towards Erole. "Did you see his hair?"

"Yes!" she smiled, "I absolutely love it!"

I stared at her. "We will discuss this at a later date... right now-"

"Erik...?" Raoul's soft voice invaded on my glare. He offered me my mask and I snapped it from his hand.

I slapped it on my face and flipped my glare back to Genevieve. She grunted, rolled her eyes and grabbed my wrist. We both ignored Raoul's quiet calls as she dragged me to her objective.

The women's bathroom.

The women washing their hands gasped and quickly finished. One of them hit me with her purse when she exited the room, pushing past us.

"She dragged me in here!" I yelled after the woman that hit me.

She grunted in response.

Genevieve slammed the door behind us and I leaned against the sink. "For the love of opera, Genevieve! Men aren't allowed in here!" I whisper-yelled and she approached me.

"I don't care! Erik, you are being incredibly inconsiderate to Raoul and Frej" she paced in front of me, giving a glare that... somehow, only women could give.

"I didn't say anything to Raoul or Frej!" I argued in response.

"Glares say it all, Erik! The poor boy thinks he did something wrong now..." I protested.

"He _did _do something wrong! Raoul, that stupid fop... you _invited _him into my home."

"_Fop?! _You want to talk _fop?! _A fop is a man who takes excessive care to their appearance. Isn't that _you too? _Mr. I-wear-opera-worthy-clothes-all-the-time!"

"Stop that. No need to add insult to injury..."

"What is the big deal, anyway? It's just Raoul..."

"We don't have room."

"We could make it!"

"We don't have time to care for a child."

She widened her eyes for a moment, being silent and closing her agate mouth.

"We won't be the ones caring for him... Raoul will!"

"So he will provide food? Water? No... that will be me!"

"Erik! What is so wrong with that?" she lowered her voice to a near whisper, "you... know what it is like to be homeless..."

I stared at her and she looked back at me. I was easily a few inches taller than her, so she looked up to me. "Yes... but I was a poor circus act... that man is a rich, spoiled... boy! His son and him do not need me. Why does he even accept to stay with me? He was almost killed there... _by _the man he is boarding with!"

"True... but where can he stay _now_? It is only temporary..." She argued, but her voice was softer.

"I still don't like the idea of him... entering my safe haven."

"Oh please... you let people in there like 'that'" she snapped her fingers.

"_When?!_"

"Erole and I?"

"I _trust _you and Erole!"

"Okay, I see your point... but, it would only be a week or so that he would be there!"

I stopped arguing with her. This was immature and insane. Why does he want to stay with _me?_ Wait a second...

"You invited him, didn't you? He didn't ask!" I widened my eyes and blinked.

She bit her cheek. "Well..."

"Oh, for the love of-!"

A flush came from a stall and a woman tediously stepped out. She scanned us with a scared smile as we moved so she could wash her hands. She only got them wet for a moment, the silence incredibility awkward. She grabbed the towel and stormed out, her eyes never leaving us.

While there was silence, I had time to think, although I was incredibility uncomfortable.

What... would happen... if Raoul and Frej _did _stay with us? Would it _really _be that bad? Raoul would not be comfortable, but who cares about his comfort? If Genevieve was in here, arguing for him to stay, he had better be appreciative.

I sighed and threw my fist against the marble sink counter. My teeth were clenched, eyes squinted. She was quiet, for I did not know if she knew what she did was... inexcusable.

"I find it funny," I said quietly, breaking the silence, "how you think you have some sort of power over me and my home."

He let out a short breath. "Er-"

"Don't," I quickly threw my body in front of hers, and her eyes widened at my squinted ones, "say my name."

I turned towards the door and pressed my hand onto it. I was used to wearing a cloak, which would have hidden me for I turned so extravagantly.

She didn't follow me when I stormed out.

No one followed when I ran outside and began to cry.

No one followed... when I found a garden.

No one followed when I sat in the gondola placed in the middle of the colors.

...No one followed... when I picked a rose next to me.

"A good flower garden," I pretended to reveal the bright red rose behind my back to her, "is only an excellent flower garden if it has a well kept red rose bush."

The black cloak was draped over my body and I let the wind flow through my real hair. I hugged the cloak close to me, for it was cold outside. It was a wonder how these flowers weren't all dead.

What was happening to me? My life... was completely out of control. At least, out of my own control. It wasn't just Raoul. It was the fact that Genevieve completely went behind my back and allowed an _enemy _into my safe haven. Well, she would have allowed him, if I had stopped this monstrosity from occurring!

Everything that I had... she was taking control of. My home, my belongings, even my clothes. I felt as if everything I worked so hard to get in my hands was now in her hands. I felt... robbed. This was... not good. I did _not _like her having this much control in this relationship. I was the man, after all! I was here, all because of her. I was going to get Diana, all because of her. I could live without Diana!

… I could live without Genevieve.

I flashed my ticket to the admittance staff and they let me through. I walked with a fierceness and speed, all while brooding.

This was what I did when I was angry. I brooded. I thought angrily about everything with a huge scowl on my face, eyes squinted and fists gripping suitcase tightly.

I sat in my seat and gazed out the window. Genevieve would be sitting next to me soon, for I had gotten on the plane before them. Raoul and Frej would sit in front of me, and Erole by himself next to us on the other side of the row.

I pulled my hood up over my head and let the darkness hover over me. I could still see, for the hood was not pulled over my face, but it hovered over my eyesight like a storm cloud.

I pulled it down after realizing that it was far too hot for it. This plane was very warm.

I heard her shuffle.

"Erik! We were worried sick! We didn't know where you went! We thought you would miss the plane!" she hugged me, even with the arm rest between us.

"So you got on the plane anyway?" my voice did _not _sound pleased.

Raoul slid in silently after stuffing his small bag in the claim. Frej followed him and began to doodle. Raoul also stared out the window blankly.

Genevieve noticed my displeasure, especially when I glared down at her. Her smile dissipated and her arms lowered and loosened.

"Well..." she cleared her throat, noticing that this matter was not over yet, "we asked the plane attendants and they said you were already boarded... so we just went to find you, I guess."

I raised my eyebrows and smirked a little smirk. "Good work."

She sighed and still snuggled against me, now following my gaze out the window. We stayed like this for a half hour or so. I was not talking. Genevieve was not talking. Raoul was not talking. Frej was talking, but it was to himself as he read a little book in his lap. He could read surprisingly well for a boy his age.  
Erole came flying in, along with the gazes of passengers. He threw his bag on the claim rather violently. He seemed angry at something or someone and flopped down in his seat. He sat in the seat closest to the window and gazed angrily at me.

"I swear, Erik... I'm tired of people mistaking me for you! I was held up at security for impersonation!" he threw his hands into the air.

"I'm sorry you look like me, Erole..." I was monotonous and looked at him with boring eyes.

He put his hands down slowly and stitched his eyebrows together. "I'm sorry I look ugly like you too..." He stopped looking so aggravated. He used 'funny' sarcasm, yet he seemed genuinely concerned.

I twitched a smile and we all jumped at the sudden sound of a beep. "Good morning passengers. I hope you have boarded pleasantly and comfortable on our flight."

"NO!" Erole yelled out and everyone giggled, "I DID NOT!" It was now an uproar and I could not help but chuckle myself. He was so obnoxious...

And it was hilarious.

The pilot obviously could not hear him, but kept talking. "We will be taking off momentarily. Please buckle your seat belts and prepare for lift off. Attendants will be walking by with carts of snacks and such, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for flying Daroga Air."

We did as he asked and Genevieve tugged on my cloak. "Take it off, Erik..." she said rather quietly.

"Hey you two, don't be getting all naughty over there..." Erole smirked at Genevieve's statement.

"We will when you learn some proper grammar..." I mumbled and he chuckled.

"Says the ugly idiot who lived in a cage..." he winked at me and I gave a playful glare.

"Says the rich boob whose boss is a group of drunken fools at a casino," I grinned, "who are at his own level."

Raoul looked at me and Erole from over the seat. He was on his knees and turned around.

"You... lived in a cage?" I could barely hear him, for he was near-silent.

Our smirks and glares disappeared. We gazed over at Raoul who sunk a little in his seat.

"Proud 'Devil's Child'" I blinked and he tilted his head. He flipped his hair a little to keep it out of his face. God forbid his _hair _get messed up.

"What do you mean?" He inquired.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the plane then jerked and Raoul widened his eyes. He sat back down and quickly clipped his seatbelt together.

The plane was soon high in the air and soaring. I popped a piece of gum into my mouth to rid of the ringing in my ears.

I had changed my clothes and gotten ready while I was thinking. I took a short break from the garden and sneaked back to retrieve my clean clothing. My teeth brushed, my hair combed, face... masked, I headed back to the garden and continued thinking.

Frej began to whine a little. I heard Raoul and Frej conversing of what was wrong, and Raoul began rustling in his bag. I didn't see what he pulled out, but Frej squealed quietly in excitement and I began to hear... devouring. Whatever it was, Frej sure seemed hungry towards it.

The plane was now stable in the air and Raoul shoved Frej on the shoulder to eat quietly. Frej groaned, but did as he was told. I had to admit, Frej was the most adorable little boy I had ever seen. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, a little baby-chub. The picture-perfect little boy. And his personality was irresistibly adorable.

Raoul stood and whispered something in Genevieve's ear. She looked confused and spoke quietly. "I don't have to do that... all you have to do is ask him."

He looked at her with agitation and whispered something else. I looked out the window, to look as if I didn't hear anything. I only heard what Genevieve said.

"No... we don't know much about that either. He'll tell you, and I'll ask him or read him later..."

Raoul whispered again. Genevieve turned her gaze towards me, then back to Raoul.

"He wants to be your friend... but I don't know if he knows that you want to be his, too. Sharing things is a great way to get to know people. You should share some of your history with him, he thinks you're a big softy." She grinned at his 'how-did-you-know-about-my-past' gaze. She received this gaze many a times.

Raoul gave a short whisper and put his hand on her thigh. I almost growled and briefly turned my gaze over to him. He didn't notice me, but kept whispering.

"If you have something to say, say it out loud" I kept my voice deep, but at normal talking volume.

Raoul jumped at the sudden noise and Genevieve's look turned towards me. Raoul became tense and Genvieve stood.

"Go" she grinned and patted him on the back as she switched to the seat next to Erole. Erole seemed surprised, but she explained into his ear and he smiled at me. He winked. "No homosexual kissing over there, okay? It's gross... but yet I see it all the time..." his gaze turned to flashback and he grimaced. I guess men get so drunk to the point where they turn gay at that wretched casino. See why I stay away from drinking?

Raoul glared at him and I rolled my eyes, smiling inside. What a horrible being Erole was... but he was so funny!

Erole turned around and began to converse with Genevieve once more. What could those two possibly talk about without it being an argument? They were completely different and-

"Erik...?" Raoul turned back to me and squeaked out, breaking my train of thought.

I snapped back to reality and blinked. "Y-yes?" I cleared my throat. How could I lose such focus for only a moment?

"What... what _has _happened in your past...?" he seemed afraid when he asked me. What was he being so tedious for? Was he being careful because he thought I would blow up at him or something like that? Perhaps he predicted my reaction would be to look and think of him as odd for thinking of such a thing. I... I would not act in such a way, for I knew he was only curious. I knew neither Genevieve nor Raoul knew about my past, so I figured Genevieve would be listening in.

I chuckled and Raoul widened his bright blue eyes. His son had his eyes, for Christine's were not so intense. Her eyes had more of a murky, hazel hue to them. "Don't worry, Raoul. I won't kill you for asking..." I smiled a little wider, "no need to be so cowardly towards me. I have no intentions of inducing any bodily harm upon anyone. Or, for that matter, emotional strain is something I would not wish upon anyone or anything."

Raoul suddenly looked confused.

"Nice speech, Mr. King. Jr..." Erole smirked.

Genevieve whispered something in his ear, and he turned back to Genevieve's face, head tilted in confusion.

"So... you'd be...willing..." he still seemed unsure. What was it about my past that fringed his confidence? I could not conquer upon an answer inside my own mind.

"To happily tell you" I smiled at him and his expression lightened a bit, "for an exchange."

Eyebrow raised, "what sort of exchange?" said he.

"I shall tell you of my past if you tell me of yours."

He pondered for a moment, merely looking down for a moment then looking back up at me. "I accept." He grinned and was suddenly confident. At least, more confident than he was a mere moment ago.

"You go first" he seemed interested. I would gladly go first, but why did he automatically respond? I guess he wanted to hear my story. I shrugged and agreed.

_I was transferred from country to country. I was born in the Netherlands, but I was adopted by foster parents in Holland. My birth parents passed me down to adoption once I was born, in place for Erole. According to Erole, they did not have enough money to care for both of us, so they had to give one away. My birth mother was Scottish, my birth father Dutch. _

_ My adoption parents... weren't the nicest people. My father secretly beat me, and by 'secretly' I mean he kept it from my mother. I received one large scar from his nails digging into my skin on my leg. The woman... was verbally abusive. Using general names and... she knew how to push my buttons. She knew what hurt my feelings and grated my nerves. I eventually was fed up with only juice and bread for every meal, beatings, insults, and living in a cramped room. I slept on a rolled up, dirty quilt. So... I ran. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know where I would end up. But I was so tired of it! I found myself in Paris, where a Gypsy took me in. She took care of me, with little food, but I had a real, warm bed._

_ I slept there for a mere day, before I woke up the next morning in a caged cell. I was wearing only shorts made of a potato-sack-like material. I realized I was locked in, after banging and pulling on the thick, iron bars. There was only straw beneath my bare feet. After that, dirt. I gazed at the banner above my head, written in eerie, red letters... 'The Devil's Child'. The Devil's child?! What was I, a circus attraction? Well, that was exactly what I was. Crowds came from tens to hundreds... all to stare at me. No, I wasn't merely sitting there. What do you do for entertainment with anyone with 'devil' in reference to them? Beat them... humiliate them... give them the worst living conditions possible. _

_ Of course I was angry. Of course I was filled with angst and self pity. I wanted the world to die, and let me be the only one left. I hated how I was being pushed around, only for my face. I was being humiliated and harmed, for something I had no choice. _

_ I managed to grow out of my pants, so they gave me a new pair, thankfully. I used the fabric of my other ones... to make something. I was so bored whenever I wasn't getting beaten or whipped. I wanted to invent something, with sound. A sound other than my screams, the Master's yells, and the crowd's laugh. I looked around.... and saw two metal buttons. I clicked them together and they made a 'ching' sound. I new sound... finally! I took my fabric and made a box-like shape. I sewed with thread from the fabric and a sharpened piece of straw. I didn't know what to make for the buttons, so I gazed around once more. _

_ It was another attraction that gave me my idea. Bebazum, the circus chimpanzee. He loved his little red ball, his only toy that fit in his small, iron cage, one much like mine, on a smaller scale. Now I had an idea of what to make on top of my box, as I watched him toss his ball from palm to palm._

_ With my new reference, my thread and needle, and the rest of my fabric, I sewed together a monkey, and I sewed the buttons to it's hands. The monkey placed on the box, I clicked the two buttons together. _

_ This was my first toy._

_ Now I was fifteen. My birthday was in January and on the thirtieth day. _

_ It was a Sunday, the last day that I would stay in my exact location. I would have traveled with the circus to Italy. A field trip of a young group of ballerinas of the Opera Populaire, little known, would change my life._

_ I gazed at them behind my sack-makeshift-mask and saw one young lady. She gripped the bars with her hands, and stared at me. Unlike her fellows who laughed and pointed when my master pulled off my mask, she stared. She stared with sadness and pity, and I stared back with misery. _

_ When they left, that one odd lady turning reluctantly, my master picked up all the money around me. I returned to my monkey and began to cling the symbols in my own jingle rhythm. I had made it up, for I had not been around music, except when I occasionally heard my mother playing piano. She was not good._

_ I still remember what he said to me and what he did that made me crack._

_ "Do you have any idea how annoying that thing is?" he kicked my monkey on a box and one of the pebble eyes I sewed on fell of. There was now a tear in his arm, and he fell off the box, "we should have thrown that trash out a long time ago."_

_ I felt the anger rise and I stood up. "It's not trash." My voice was something that surprised him, for the only thing he was used to hearing was my scream. _

_ He chuckled and put his hand on my bare chest. He pushed me down onto the ground, but I stood up again. "I'll be seeing you in the transfer tomorrow."_

_ How dare he call my creation trash, and be bold enough to kick it? He obviously had some odd idea that I was of lesser power than him. _

_ I was angry before, now I was furious as he turned to leave. He put his key into the latch, but never turned it._

_ The scars on my back were created from a long, leather whip. He always hung it on a small, metal hook on one metal bar._

_ I grabbed the whip and cracked it against his back. He turned and writhed shortly in pain. "What do you think you're doing?" He grabbed the whip from me, but I held one end of the whip in my fist. He turned and tried to pull in from me by pulling behind his shoulder. _

_ With this... I took initiative. I wrapped the whip with his bent arm holding it around his neck. He gasped, but dropped the whip to drop his arm. I tied the whip very tightly in a knot around his neck. He began to choke and soon enough... he fell to the floor._

_ "MURDERER!" I shot my eyes over to a stunned bystander. He shouted and began to run, as he pointed at the dead body at my feet. "THE DEVIL SENDS HIS BOY A MESSAGE OF MURDER!"_

_ I didn't know what to do! What do you do when the police start running towards you, and you can't escape. _

_ I sat there, waiting to be taken to jail. I stared at the dead idiot below me. This... was the man that beat me. That hurt me. For entertainment and money. Can you imagine how wonderfully dreadful I felt for ridding of his soul? For escaping his wrath? Ha ha, I had won! _

_ But now I would lose._

_ The police fumbled with the lock on one side. There were two doors, one in front for the crowds if they wanted to go in, and one in back for the master. Both were always locked until he unlocked it with his key. The police were trying to get in through the back door._

_ "Child!" someone whispered to me. I could not see them, and it had a thick French accent. _

_ I looked around me._

_ "Down, Devil! Down!" she seemed in a rush._

_ From under the cage, I saw a dainty, pale hand sticking from under the gap on the bottom._

_ I looked for the owner of the hand. The odd young lady! Donned in the same white dress with black apron, she lay upon the ground so she could not be seen by the cops. _

_ "Do not stare at me, quick, retrieve the keys from the dead man's hand! Do it quick! Go!" she wiggled her fingers and nudged her dead over to my recently killed master._

_ I noticed the ring of keys in his hand and rushed over to them. I picked them up and held the ring tight, the many keys jingling with the motion. _

_ The police seemed to notice me unlock the door and throw it open. The young lady sprung up and grabbed my wrist. With my free hand, I threw the sack over my face, grabbed my dis repaired monkey and box, then hopped down onto the pavement. I ran, with her dainty hand gripping my skinny, dirty wrist. My legs were not used to running, not to mention at this speed. I almost tripped several times as the cops chased us. Her long brown hair was hitting my face and it tickled.... I don't even know how I remember that. _

_ The rest of her class was boarding into the carriage, she was running towards a very large building. I still remember the first time I saw the Opera Populaire up close. I had admired from afar as long as I had been in that cage at the beautiful massive building. Such Regal and colossal decorations, it was impressive and new. There was nothing like it in Holland!_

_ I thought I would go through the front door and go right into her dorm. But instead... she dragged me behind the building. There were two wooden, gray-toned,weathered door in the ground._

_ "Open those and climb down. This is all I know of where you can go. Here..." she rustled in her purse for something, "once you hit the water, there is a candle hanging from the wall from the five-finger lure. Light it with these..." she handed me a pack of matches, "and you will see where you will be staying. I am sorry I can't give you much better..."_

_ I took the matches tediously. She nudged me, looking around nervously, down into the dark hole. _

_ "Th...thank you..." I felt around for the second peg on the ladder, leading down to my new home. _

_ "I must go. Goodbye!" She began to run._

_ "No! Wait!" I called after her._

_ She stopped and turned back to me. "What is your name?"_

_ She swallowed, as if she was nervous telling me her name. "Megan... Megan Giry."_

_ I smiled a small grin. Such a pretty name... Megan, it is. _

_ "What is yours?" She inquired and put one hand on her hip._

_ "E...Erik. Erik.... De Graff" I blinked at her confused expression._

_ "Hello, Erik De Graff. Quite a pleasure to meet you." She smiled._

_ "If it weren't for you, I would not be here... I would be in prison. Thank you. How could I ever repay you?"_

_ "Never mention my name. Pretend as if you have no knowledge of my presence..." she frowned._

_ I nodded meekly. I could understand that. Saying you helped a felon escape does not go too well on your permanent record. I was not offended or anything of the nature. It was true, for I would do the same._

_ "I agree."_

_ "Now go. When you are alone down there, you are free to take off your mask. If you search around, you may find clothes or anything of the sort. Good luck, Erik. I give you my prayers and wishes."_

_ She ran off._

_ "Thank you!" I called after her, my body now half-way into the darkness. I gulped and watched Megan run off. I tried to see where I was going as I descended into the unknown, but to no avail. I would have stuck a match with my free and, but I held my monkey with it. _

_ Eventually I felt water upon my toes and, at first, I panicked. But I remembered what Megan said about hitting the water, and dropped from the ladder. I searched the walls for this 'five-fingered lure'. I felt a wax candle, then the wick, and struck a match. I held it up to the wick, and, with a soft 'whoosh', light enveloped the darkness. I saw a rocky, layered floor, and then a drop off into a small lake. I was in the shallow part of the water, right before it washed upon the cold, hard, flat stone. _

_ I looked down and saw a box. It was cardboard and was sealed shut with a rock on top, keeping the lips down. It was not labeled, and I kneeled down to it. I took the rock off and let it fall into the water, making a soft 'plop' sound. The box flew open._

_ Gold and white._

_ I picked up one long cylinder of milky wax and smiled. There were... so many candles! Perhaps one hundred or so!_

_ The gold... wow. They were beautiful multi-candle holders. Dirty and in need of a good shine, I picked them up and set one of the tall holders on the ground. I stuck six candles, which is what it held, into the elegant candle holder. I placed the flame of the candle in the holder on the wall onto the wick of the candle on the older. I did the same to each wick, and soon the room was that much brighter. I could see more rock and more water._

_ But... there was something else. Something shiny and gold, just like the holders. It was not revealed, only a corner of it escaping the darkness._

_ I placed the candle back in the hand-shaped holder. That was why it was called 'five finger lure', the iron holder was molded as a hand, holding the carrier for the candle._

_ I picked up the menorah by the long stalk and held it above my head. I slowly began to walk, with bare feet, onto the cold stone. I almost slipped twice as I finally approached the dusty, golden object._

_ I slammed a finger against one of the long, white, dirty keys on the bottom row. A low note echoed in the labyrinth as I set down the menorah to light the object._

_ An organ!_

_ It was in desperate need of repair, but I could tell it was a beautiful antique. Some keys were missing, the pipes were dented, and one leg on the bench was missing. To add, many keys were out of tune and it was generally in need of a good wash and shine. _

_ And it was beautiful. _

_ I had never been one of music, but I enjoyed it when I could. _

_ I had put up all of the menorahs and lit all the candles. There was a main, large room, the one I dropped into, and four smaller 'rooms' divvying from it. In time, these four rooms would become my bedroom, a spare bedroom, and my music office. There is still an empty room that I have yet to fill with anything except junk..._

_ Anyway, long story short, I began to explore the Opera House. I found all of my clothes that fit as a child in the wardrobe for the actors. As I grew into a teenager, I began to make my own style of clothing with my own fabric and such. The eccentric clothes of the wardrobe did not suit me, you see?_

_ There was a soprano before Carlotta that was truly breathtaking. I basically learned all I know about what good vocals sound like from her. Since I had been exploring, I soon knew my chambers like the back of my hand. I had always traveled to her lessons with her teacher, and I will kill myself over not remembering either of their names. _

_ This is why I am so good at singing higher notes than a man should sing. I took the same notes she did, I practiced the same things she did. One my voice began to change... well, I got harder and harder to get higher and higher. So I listened in on the men's lessons, and learned my share of the bass and tenor voice chambers. _

_ This was all I had to do all day, so I sang. And I sang and I sang until I was even tired of singing. What did I do when I was weary of singing? Restore my newly discovered, run down objects. My organ, of course, was my first object of business. Over time, about three months, I had fully restored my organ. Mission accomplished... but what do I do with it now? I had no idea how to play it... so I would learn! There was of course an orchestra practice, and I learned the notes and such from those practices. _

_ By the time I was seventeen, I had restored the boat that you have seen, Raoul, down in my lair. I had restored the peacock bed that I had found as a prop for an opera, and about to be thrown away. It was so beautiful and I couldn't stand to see it go. It was originally very bright colors, such as green and purple, but I colored it the colors it was today. I found the sheets and such with the rest of my clothing. A desk, several writing utensils, the candle holders, countless musical instruments, and lastly, my monkey. I had made an iron box and everything... my first toy, only improved._

_ Everything... I have now... is composed from things I made myself. Even my mask... but... I prefer that story to be kept private._

Raoul smiled cocked his head at the last part. All throughout my little history lesson, he had asked questions and made several facial expressions. The faces of Raoul matched Genevieve's and Erole's faces of happiness, sadness, anger, disgusted, confusion, understanding... and several others that I could not read.

"Damn, Erik!" Erole yelled quietly, "that's depressing! I feel... damn..." he frowned and looked down at his feet. This was an emotion I had never seen of him... and I didn't know what it was. He shook his head slowly and sighed. He cursed once again and closed his eyes.

Genevieve looked lost in thought. I could tell she was running through my mind, trying to figure out what was going through my mind at the time. But... she also looked like Raoul, eyebrows curved upwards, frown on their faces, eyes filled with regret.

"I never knew... Erik...", Raoul was quiet and he looked at me, "where you came from. To be honest, I never really wondered about it until recently."

"Not many do... it's a hidden part of me that few ever see" I grinned solemnly and stared at him as he stared at me. Both with sadness, and both with curiosity.

Talking about my past brought up... many painful memories. I closed my eyes to push away the burning tears. Nothing is as painful as the past for me. But I do not dwell over it. It seems that now-a-days, I am still living the past. Have not moved from my place at the Opera House. I sighed and opened my eyes again. The tears still stung, and I could tell Raoul could tell.

Genevieve got up put of her seat and walked to an unknown door. She pushed it to open it and walk to the mysterious room beyond it. Everybody looked at everybody else with wide, wondering eyes.

"So that's where your Punjab came from..." Raoul put his elbow on the arm rest.

"I guess so..." I felt bad that everyone was sad over my story. It was just my past... it didn't matter anymore...

"When did you start getting... controlling? As if you thought the opera was yours..." Erole came up from his slump.

"I _do _own that opera house" I snapped back angrily.

He raised his eyebrows in defense.

"Anyway... it all started when the new managers, before Andre and Firman, came along. The opera house had... discovered my musical talents when I accidentally dropped one of my first compositions and the band director discovered it. Ever since, when I first heard it played, I felt as if I needed to thank them. That was the beginning of my written notes... sending them down. The roses grew in France's Garden... and that was the first time I'd ever seen a flower. I picked it, and thought it would be a fitting gift... so I threw it down with the note to the band director.

The next day, I received a note from the entire band in the same spot that I left the note for them. It asked for more operas, for it was a smash hit, and the opera house was making much more money than before. With it, there was the same red rose, but with a black ribbon tied to it. Of course I took the offer, and began writing another right away.

About a week went by when I received another note. It was from the managers... sealed with red wax in the shape of a skull. Little did I know that inside this letter, would be the worst news of my composing life.

They didn't want me to write any more operas. They said that the audience was getting tired of the style of my writings... and was losing money from paying me other than making money.

This was now my domain! I wrote the damned operas that made that place go anywhere! Of course I would retaliate... I loved writing music, and it was only the managers that said anything. Who knew about the band and the singers?

I send a letter back to them, with the same red skull marking, for I stole it from their office, and sent the letter. It said that if they would not let me continue writing my operas... well... do you know what I said, Raoul?" I grinned. This was a phrase I always used now... for it got the manager's attention when I wrote it.

He pondered and smiled, "or you will suffer a risk beyond your greatest imaginations... or something like that."

"Yes, something quite like that. It appeared to work.... but they were still losing money. They had to fire someone... and that would the most beautiful voice that ever graced my ears..." I frowned and blinked.

"Her name... it strikes me now. It wasn't her real name... but her stage name. Tulip... I remembered. I remember now because it was a flower grown in only Holland, not a name I had ever heard."

Raoul nodded solemnly. "So... you took what you know of the noose and such... to show your displeasure."

"Exactly... and now I know that it was wrong. Back then... before I had experience in the real world... that was all I knew to show any unhappy emotion. What really ticked me off was the new girl... La Carlotta. Ugh... her voice made me think that the opera house was really haunted!" I chuckled at the comment and remembered me thinking that thought.

They first calling me the 'Opera Ghost' when they needed to give a reason for the odd happenings around the opera house. I showed some hints to the singers and such that I was displeased like throwing sandbags, sending notes, the usual. When they tried to ignore me... I would make sure that they noticed my message. Sometimes it was fatal... but that was last resort and aggravation.

Genevieve returned with a large book. How could any book be that... wide? Tall? We all stared, even Erole, at the arriving woman. I was almost completely lost in the swish of her hips...

It was hilariously revolting how even in my most depressing moments, just looking at her could soothe my nerves and send my mind into bliss.

"So," she sat back down in the seat ahead of me, setting the book in her lap, "you said your first 'toy' was a Persian monkey playing the symbols...?"

"Persian?!" Erole exclaimed suddenly, our stunned gazes flying towards him, "PERSIAN! I totally forgot about the Persian! I wonder if he will be there when we visit..." he smiled and started bouncing in his seat.

"Who is the Persian?" I inquired. I was not fond of Persia... or the Persians. They seem to think they are the best in the world. The customs of Persia seemed disgusting... not even the _slaves _had names. **I don't think this way... blame Erik!**

"He's an old family friend. He's been with my- our- dad for quite some time. He is a cop... and no one except my- our- mother and father know his real name. He refuses to tell us... so I shrug it off and call him the Persian." Erole grinned wider as Genevieve began to flip through the wide book's pages. She quietly hummed an unfamiliar tune as she did so.

"That's odd... he's probably a criminal. Damn Persians..." I scowled and Raoul glared at me.

"You discriminate against those who discriminate..." Raoul shook his head slowly, "that makes no sense..."

"I don't like certain people, as do you. Nobody likes everyone, Raoul" I responded sharply.

But I knew he had a point.

"So, what about you, Raoul...? Your past? We had a deal" I leaned in my chair and Raoul grinned.

The plane shook and shuddered. Our gazes broke from Raoul as the ride became bumpy and rocky. The luggage above us rattled and clattered. Everybody vibrated and rose and fell with the plane's movements.

Then everything stopped. It was smooth again, and I gazed out the window. We were gliding on smooth pavement, a long runway for the plane. It was a sunny day, a few white clouds scattered in the perfect blue sky. There was a line of trees in the distance, but there was a large, gray building next to the plane, signaling civilization. The massive airport. It was smaller than the airport in France, but still massive.

"Thank you for flying S.H Airlines. We hope you had a wonderful time. Have fun in Denver!" the pilot announced over an intercom.

The reaction to that hit me was a wonderful one. It finally hit me that I was so close... so close to seeing Diana! My heart warmed. My eyes drooped. My lips twisted into a small smile. The memories of her flooded my mind, and I almost forgot I had to get off the plane.

Everyone stood and grabbed for their luggage, and I followed. I was soon walking down the tunnel, connecting the plane to the airport. Each step I took, I was closer to Diana.

Then we arrived into the building. It was arranged differently than the one in Paris, with much more white and chairs. It had the same busy, obnoxious vibe, though.

I sighed, then started to walk with my bag in hand towards the exit door. I stopped after realizing no one was following. They stayed put, all smiling at me. Erole had a tilted grin. Raoul had one of those warm smiles that only a friend could give. Genevieve's smile was so sweet and so caring, only a lover could share it.

I tilted my head towards the door, urging them to follow. They shook their heads, still smiling widely.

"What are you waiting for, guys?" I stepped closer to the mob of smiling people, the crowd of people moving the opposite direction from me making it hard for me to move. My vision of my friends came and disappeared with the movement of people.

I was soon face-to-face with Genevieve. She started to giggle. "Don't kick her!" she shouted over the massive crowd.

There was a confused look on my face. What was she talking about? Kick whom? Why would I kick them?

There was a squeezing pressure on my left shin. I groaned a shocked gasp and everyone in the crowd squealed.

I looked down, horrified.

The horror welted away. My eyes widened as I met her gaze. I slowly twirled my lips into a slow smile.

"DIANA!" I gripped her her arms and scooped her up. I squeezed her against my chest, being gentle at the same time. I held her under her bottom, the other arm squeezing her. This was a wonderful feeling. It was euphoric. The joy that I was waiting for for the last few weeks was here.

"ERIK! OH MY GOSH, ERIK!" she hugged me tightly, her small arms not fully reaching my back. She wrapped her legs around me and interlaced them behind my lower back. Her smiling face was buried in my chest and her voice was muffled.

Genevieve and everybody else followed. Frej didn't move, though. Frej was very still. He looked so confused... I didn't know why. He was young, he didn't know what was going on.

Oh well. In the mean time, she was in my arms. She was finally mine. It was a wonderful feeling, that I wish would never go away.

"Princess?" Frej's tiny voice squeaked.

Diana's face turned from my chest to look at him. Everyone else in the hug moved so Diana could see him.

She squealed and started wiggling in my arms. I let her down gently and she immediately sprang towards Frej. Her pink, frilly dress and white socks with white shoes were the picture of innocence. She wore her blonde hair in pig-tails on the side of her head.

She encased him in a hug, and a wide grin fell over his face. He hugged back and blushed.

"PRINCE!" she squealed and rocked on her feet. She broke from him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with my dad!" he looked up to Raoul.

I was hoping she didn't ask about his mother. That would come later.

She looked towards Raoul who smiled. "KING!" she ran over to Raoul and hugged his leg. She squeezed and he grinned. He looked at me and shrugged.

"You never told me Diana was Frej's old friend!" he chuckled to me.

"I didn't know!" I chuckled back.

Then her eye caught someone new. She broke from Raoul's leg and a wider grin spread to her face.

"MS. THOMAS!" she screamed and ran towards the blonde woman who was on one knee to greet the adorable girl who was soon in her arms.

"Hey! Have you been reading?" Genevieve smiled and squeezed her back.

"Yuh huh!"

It was a wonderful sight. It was a wonderful feeling. It... God, I have been waiting for this sight for weeks. It warmed my heart.

Then Diana broke from Genevieve. Her gaze of blue, innocent eyes met mine. She stepped towards me slowly and motioned for me to pick her up again. I did so, and she wrapped her arms around me once more.

"I missed you Erik..." she whispered into my ear.

A very happy, moved tear slid down my cheek. "I missed you too, Diana..." my voice was soft, but in her ear, so she heard me.

We rocked slowly back and fourth for a moment and hugged. I closed my eyes and held her close.

Close to my heart.

Then I heard a grunt from behind me.

Diana looked up from the nape of my neck and squealed again, but quietly.

"Hi Gramma and Grandpa! Dis is Erik!" she waved with one arm.

I opened my eyes and turned around to see an elderly couple. They held two pink bags, Diana's I assumed.

I set Diana down and cleared my throat, wiping away the tear. I held my hand out to the man, and he accepted it with a smile.

"Harold, pleasure to meet you" he shook it. His voice was beaten with age, but also seemed optimistic and peppy.

"Erik. The pleasure's all mine" I smiled and broke the shake.

"This is my wife, Geraldine." The woman nodded and smiled.

"It's a pleasure." I grinned at her.

Diana walked over to them and gripped onto Geraldine's dress.

They introduced themselves to everybody else. Then paused when they met Erole.

They looked back at me, then at him. He chuckled. "I get that a lot. I'm his twin brother, Erole."

Diana let out a short scream as they shook his hand. "There's.... There's two Erik's!" she exclaimed and switched gazes between Erole and I.

I chuckled and stepped over to her. "But we are completely different!"

She still seemed shocked.

The grandparents whispered something in one another's ear, and the grandmother handed Diana her bags. The grandfather slipped Diana a small envelope and kissed her forehead.

"We are going now..." her Grandmother rose, "Erik... Diana has the note and some information for you."

She stepped up to me. "We have sixteen grandchildren living with us... it's not that we don't love her, it's that she deserves better. We think... you could take much better care of her and give her the attention she needs."

I smiled warmly. They were just... giving her to me. No need to involve the law. Even if the government would be awfully confused, she was my... daughter.

Her grandfather swooped her up in a hug. He whispered something in her ear and hugged her.

She cried one tear as they strode off. They also shed a few tears, but then departed towards the exit.

"How did you know..." I wanted to change the subject, "that I would be here?"

"Ms. T- Genevieve," she grinned and looked over her the enchanting, smiling woman, "called on the plane and let us know."

I looked at her with the warmest gaze I could ever give. I mouthed 'thank you' and she winked and smiled.

Frej clung to her again and began talking to her.

If there was one person who did not look elated, it was Erole. I tilted my head at him as he glared at me.

I stepped closer to him as Genevieve and Raoul began to talk with her.

Erole looked down, his frown deepening, his eyes hazed.

"What's the matter?" I said quietly, my smile dissipating.

His grin continued and he looked up at me, brightness returning. "I just got lost in space, sorry. I'm damn tired..." he chuckled.

I knew it was more than that, but we'd go over that at a later date.

"That is so weird..." Diana was in front of us now, and both Erole and I looked down at her.

"Huh?" We asked in unison.

"There's two Erik's..." she giggled.

"Yeah, but I'm totally cooler..." he knelt down to her, " 'cuz I know how do to a mean patty-cake..."

She brightened up again and giggled. She stepped closer to the unmasked Erole. "Really?"

He held his hands up in Patty-cake position. "Wanna go?" he had a fake challenging look on his face and in his eyes.

She started to play, and Erole exaggerated the challenge quite a bit. Everyone laughed at the intense look of pain and difficulty on his face. The game sped up, and Diana triumphed.

Erole flopped on the floor, groaning. He lay on the floor, scattered, and Diana giggled. She crawled over him and sat on him.

He groaned and chuckled. He held her and sat back up. "You look like you need a chocolate muffin."

She shined brightly and started to bounce up and down on his stomach. He groaned and picked her up.

"Let's go get it!" she looked over at me and grabbed my hand.

She knew exactly where the muffins were, for that was always the center point of her attention. And she held my hand the entire time, so I knew she wouldn't run away for it.


End file.
